When Emma Leaves Storybrooke
by schroederplayspiano
Summary: After arresting a broken-hearted David, Emma unintentionally tells him of his supposed alter-ego. The follow-out forces Emma to run from her destiny before accepting it. Her actions will put her family into a battle they might not be ready for.*Complete*
1. The Past is Prologue Part 1

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano2_

The Past is Prologue Part 1

Thursday Night

Emma's police car sat on a curb, motionless off the main path of town. Its occupant busy thinking, eating late night takeout from Granny's in the front seat: a cheeseburger and some fries. She paused mid-bite looking down at her meal and her badge attached to her jeans, realizing she could easily turn into a cliché of a small town policeman.

Emma just finished her last bite when she heard it:

_**STREECH!**_

_**BANG!**_

_**CRACK! **_

_**CRASH!**_

Emma ran out to the middle of the road after the noise without thinking. Her eyes finally adjusted to a truck that just had ran into a sign announcing Ruby's new lingerie store. Only when Emma noticed the color of the truck did she realize whose truck it was.

"David?" Emma questioned as she approached the vehicle. "Can you her me?"

"Yeah…" David's voice came out with pain.

"Are you hurt?" Emma mentally went through her checklist of what do in these situations while her eyes scanned the scene.

"No…." David blinked and his eyes tried to focus and understand what had just happened. "I don't think so."

"Can you remove yourself from the car?" Emma asked with a serious tone.

David's eyes came into focus. "Emma?"

"Remove yourself from the car."

"Sorry?"

"I am not going to ask you again. Remove yourself from the car."

"Okay…" David started to open his heavily damaged door and climb out when Emma made a noise that urged him to hurry. "Okay!"

Once he removed himself from his truck the two of them stood face to face:

All Emma could do was stare. In his jeans and blue-checkered shirt with dirt all over his face, with tiredness and sadness in his eyes; he looked pathetic. Almost like a very old man who had just realized he had lost everything.

"You're beautiful." He said.

"Excuse me?" Emma's frustration was growing.

David laughed uncomfortably. "I'm sorry." Emma's eyes narrowed. "It's just your eyes." He paused and then added. "They look like Mary-Margaret's."

Emma's eyebrows rose, half-amused. "How drunk are you?"

David's smile widened. "Really, really drunk."

"Okay, so here's what we're going to do-" As Emma reached in her back pocket for her cuffs, David put his hands out in front of him to stop her.

"No! Wait!" He yelled at Emma.

"Excuse me?" Emma said, cuffs in hand approaching him.

"Don't Arrest Me!" David yelled again.

"Don't arrest you?" Emma stared at him again. "You kidding me right? You're clearly way past the legal alcohol limit and you just killed Ruby's new sign…Begging with a police officer is not a good idea in this situation. Turn around."

When David had faced the other way, he announced, "My wife's going to kill me."

"I doubt she'll kill you for getting yourself into a car accident." Emma took a breath in and tightened the cuffs around his wrists. "She might kill you for having an affair behind her back through. "

David's eyes widen as he turned around to face Emma. "Excuse Me?"

Emma kept a serious, impersonal tone. "Is that why you got wasted tonight?"

"You know?" He asked trying not to look at her.

Emma's eyes went straight up to meet his. The two starred into each other's eyes for a long moment before Emma stated, "I know everything."

Another long moment went by where the pair could do nothing but stare at each other.

"Let's go Prince Charming." Emma led David to her car, opened the back door, and helped David into the back seat.

She took out her cell to call Mr. Tillman to tow David's truck. When she finished the call she turned around and caught David starring at her through his side window. Emma turned from him, smirked, and went to the other side of the car to climb into the driver's seat.

"Dude! Don't you have two lovers at the moment? Do you really need another one?"

"What?" David was too distracted with looking at her to hear what she had said.

Emma looked back at him, met his eyes, and raised her voice. "Why are you starring at me like that?"

"I'm sorry," David tried to regroup. "Really I am. It's just that you seem so familiar to me."

Emma nodded, smirked again, and rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I'm sure…It feels like you just found a long lost family member."

David eyes widen with what seemed like understanding. "Yes! Yes, that's exactly how it feels like." Emma rolled her eyes again and turned around to face the front of the car. In his drunken state, David added, "Do you feel it too?"

David could see Emma's mouth straighten in the mirror. "No," she said seriously and started the car.

Thankfully Emma put on obnoxious music on during the car ride to the police station so she did not have to endure any more drunken rambling from her arrestee. Once the pair had made it into the police station, David pouted, "Do I really have to stay here all night?"

Emma unlocked his cell and gently pushed him into it. "Yup," she stated. David turned around so that could undo his handcuffs.

Once Emma locked his cell, she made her way out the station door.

"Hey!" David yelled at her so she turned around. "Where you going?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back."

Sure enough, within minutes, Emma returned with two hot chocolates and a file full of papers.

Emma approached David's cell and held a hot chocolate through the bars for him. David stood up. "Oh, um, is it customary for the police to offer their arrestees wonderful warm beverages?"

"It's for the hangover." Emma stated wearily.

David smirked. "I didn't know hot chocolates were good for hangovers."

"They cure me of just about anything," Emma shrugged, pulling the hot chocolate back, "But, hey, if you don't want it…" she teased.

"No!" David reached out his hand desperately. "No, I want it." For the first time that night Emma smiled sweetly at David, putting the drink in his hand. David took it gently and said, "Thank You."

It seemed the air between them was finally clear when Emma went back to her desk and both of them enjoyed their hot chocolates in peace.

Within the next twenty minutes both of them had finished their hot chocolates and Emma had finished almost half her paperwork regarding her most recent arrest. David had gone back to his new favorite hobby: starring at Emma.

Emma was grateful she had her back facing him for she could feel him starring at her.

"So!" David said loudly to purposefully disrupt her train of thought. "Prince Charming, Huh?"

Emma turned around. "What?"

"Why did you call me Prince Charming?" David said seriously.

Emma smiled. "I like irony," she said simply.

David's eyebrows furrowed. "Irony?"

"Yes, Irony." Emma looked at him for a moment more before returning to her paperwork.

"Why is it ironic to call me Prince Charming after I get into a car accident?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I don't-"

At that, Emma rose from her chair in frustration and approached David's jail cell. "Do you know your place in this town?"

David looked at Emma, confused. "My place in this town?"

Emma closed eyes to start over. "Okay. How about this? Do you know the meaning of irony?"

"Yes, but I-"

"It is Ironic to call anyone Prince Charming after they are found crashing a car drunk – especially after finding you the way you looked."

"I know, but I-"

"It's bothering you that I called you that." Emma stated with a slip of her tongue.

"How do you know?" David quickly replied.

Emma leaned on the wall close to David's cell and looked at him with a tinkle in her eye. "I told you. I know everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"Which begs the question…" David started.

"Why did I call you Prince Charming and what is your place in this town?"

David nodded with a slight, but knowing smile.

"Well, Mr. Nolan," Emma paused and then added, "I'm afraid to speak of one is to speak of the other."

"What?" David's smile disappeared and Emma walked to her desk to pick up her keys.

Emma looked him one last time. "Think about it," she said and turned towards to the door to turn off the lights.

"You don't make any sense," David said to the darkness.

Emma smiled to herself. "Goodnight, Mr. Nolan."

With that, Emma closed and locked the door to the police station, threw her keys up in the air and caught them. "It's so much fun messing with drunk people!" She said to the night sky.


	2. The Past is Prologue Part 2

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano2_

The Past is Prologue Part 2

_Friday Morning_

"So!" Mary-Margaret's voice awoke Emma the next morning. "I hear you made an interesting arrest last night."

"Okay," Emma started, turning over with her eyes still closed. "I know this is a small town, but does the gossip mill really open at," Emma opened one eye slightly to look at the time, "6:45 in the morning?" she asked, before closing her eye and trying to pull the covers over head.

Mary-Margaret caught the covers as they passed Emma's chin, forcing Emma to open her eyes and let out a deep sigh of annoyance. "I shouldn't have heard it from the Storybrooke gossip mill! You should have woken me up as soon as you got home!"

Emma looked at Mary-Margaret seriously and said, "My bad," before taking the covers, wrapping them around herself, and closing her eyes again.

"Emma!" Mary-Margaret cried, shaking the body next to her. When nothing happened, she shook Emma again. "Sit up!" She demanded, "and tell me give me details. And then after that, you should go to the station and give him the breakfast I made for him."

"Oh. My. God." Emma remarked, slowly sitting up. "You made him breakfast. Are you a love-sick puppy or what?"

"I just thought it would be better than whatever they fed him in jail," Mary-Margaret responded softly, and then thought to herself, "What do they feed people in jail?"

"Probably nothing since I'm going to let him out this morning." Emma answered coherently for the first time that morning. When she looked around, Emma noticed that her roommate had brought her a mug full hot chocolate to make up for her rude awakening. Reaching her hands towards the mug, Emma said "Thank you" to Mary-Margaret.

Mary-Margaret pulled the mug back from Emma's reach. "No!"

"Excuse me," Emma teased. "That was for me, wasn't it? It's in my usual mug."

"No details. No hot chocolate."

"Huh," Emma shrugged. "Okay. Just as well. I am getting fat from all hot chocolate served around here."

"Emma!" Mary-Margaret repeated her cry for details. "Please."

"You have a problem, you know that right?"

For a second, Mary-Margaret looked offended, but quickly wiped the expression off her face. "It's not a problem. It's called love."

"It's called obsession." Emma retorted. "And he's married."

"Not helping!" Mary-Margaret started to become impatient.

"Okay!"

"Okay." Mary-Margaret made herself more comfortable on the bed and gave Emma her mug.

"It's not that interesting." Emma started, responding to her roommate's moved position. "The guy got drunk and ran himself into Ruby's new sign."

"I know!" Mary-Margaret said, with a little too much excitement over the situation. "Ruby's pissed about the sign. She worked hard on it."

"If you knew, why did you ask?"

"I want details!" Mary-Margaret begged.

"Oh!" Emma remarked, finally understanding. "This is code for 'I'm still in high school and I want to know if he talked about me.'"

"Or Katherine," Mary-Margaret added. "Or other things," she paused to think, "Like why he got that drunk in the first place."

Emma's look on her face was cute and full of understanding but told Mary-Margaret nothing. "All of those things might've come up," Emma said with a very casual tone.

"Oh, really," Mary-Margaret's voice rose in interest. "And?"

"And then, he hit on me several times."

"What?" Mary-Margaret's secret smile left her face and her tone was replaced with a serious one.

Emma laughed at Mary-Margaret's half-serious, half-worried tone. Finally deciding it was time to get up, she placed her mug on the side table and pulled the covers off of her body. "He was clearly drunk and did not have his head on straight. Nothing to worry about," Emma told her and rose from her bed to walk to her closet.

"He hit on you?" Mary-Margaret questioned.

Emma rolled her eyes at Mary-Margaret. "I need to get ready for work," she said simply hoping to avoid the direction of the current conversation.

"What exactly did he say?" Mary-Margaret pressed.

Emma turned back at her impatiently. "You realize the sooner I can get dressed the sooner I can let him out and you can see him, right?"

"He hit on you." Mary-Margaret now repeated her words as a statement.

"Oh. My. God. He said I had your eyes." Emma smiled at her roommate and her eyes teased Mary-Margaret's. "Crazy woman."

Mary-Margaret smiled back. "Oh. That's not bad." She took a deep breath. "Kind of nice, actually." She paused for a moment, wondering if she would regret her next words. "No wonder Henry thinks we're related."

Emma ignored Mary-Margaret's deeper meaning. "I'm glad I found a way to calm your nerves." Emma sighed dramatically and the two women shared a smile of understanding. "Now, can I get dressed anytime soon?"

"Oh!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed, jumping up from the bed and heading towards the door. "Yeah. Sure."

* * *

><p>"Mr. Nolan!" Emma said loudly as she walked into the station. "Good Morning," she announced to the room without looking at David. Emma plopped down her bag on her desk and then turned on her police radio without thinking; her actions clearly part of a daily routine.<p>

"Good Morning," The hollowness in David's voice made Emma look up from her desk of busy work to David's cell.

David looked worse than last night.

Emma picked up her keys, walked to his cell, and leaned on the same wall as she did the night before. "How's that hangover?"

"I didn't sleep at all last night."

"What? The bed not comfortable enough for you?" Emma quickly retorted.

"No, not that. I couldn't stop thinking about what you said."

"Uh-huh," Emma said casually. "And what did I say that was so interesting?"

"Three things. You called me Charming, said I had a role in this town, and stated that the two were the same thing."

Emma's eyes widen and straighten her position on the wall. "Well, clearly you had your head on straighter than I thought."

"It seems I did," David stated, and then silence came over both of them. "Anything you would like to add?"

Innocence filled Emma's face. "No," was all she said.

Silence fell again. The pair starred at each other. This time there was a difference in their interaction: their physical actions were all the same but the meaning behind them totally different.

"Aren't you going to ask me if I had anything I would like to add?"

"Nope."

"No?" David asked, surprised.

"No." Emma shrugged and pulled her keys out to find the right one for David's cell. "Don't care. Don't want to know," Emma's casual tone disappointed David as she unlocked his cell door. "You're free to go."

"You're lying," David said, still in his cell.

"Excuse me," Emma's eyes went into slits. "Is there more damage you did last night that I should know about before I let you go?"

"No," David said and started to walk out of his cell. "You lied. You clearly care."

Emma's straighten herself, turning serious. "Okay, let's be clear. I care about my son and how his theories affect his life and mine as a result. I may have spent too much time with him yesterday and his theories might have rubbed off on me a little too much. So, I do apologize for my unprofessional behavior. But I was just playing with you last night and like I said, your behavior was very ironic considering the role my son thinks you play," Emma paused and then added. "Which I don't believe in at all."

"You don't believe that I'm Prince Charming?"

"And you do-"

"Well, I -"

"You believe that you're somehow Prince Charming in this town because I called you that casually last night?"

"No."

Emma crossed her arms and held them tight against her chest, suddenly forgetting about her son and wishing she was miles away. "Then what? What did you stay up all night thinking about?"

"You."

"Me?"

"It still feels like you are a long lost family member," David blurted out quickly to Emma before he could stop himself.

"Then you are still drunk," Emma snapped back.

"Are you sure we haven't met before? I was in that coma for a long time."

"I-" Emma started.

"Emma!" They both turned at the sound of another voice in the room. Mr. Gold had just entered the office, walking in with his usual cane and cardboard box under his arm. "Oh," he added feeling the tension in the room. "I am so sorry. I didn't interrupt something, did I?"

"Mr. Gold," Emma left David's side and went to meet her visitor. "How can I help you?"

"Well, it seems that somebody broke into my shop and damaged my Charming Mobile."

Fascinated by her new project, Emma looked from Mr. Gold to his box. "Really?" She started. "Your shop seems like something you would protect pretty closely, especially considering you had a break in a couple months ago."

"I know. It seems like this thief was smarter than the last one."

"You're calling him a thief even though he didn't take anything?"

"An introducer, then," Mr. Gold corrected himself, smiling at Emma's retort.

"Well, you know that it is your responsibility to take care of items in your shop."

"Yes, but considering the value of the object, I thought you could help me out."

Emma sighed. "Alright. I'll look into for you, but considering nothing was stolen I don't think there's much I can do."

"That's all I ask," Mr. Gold said simply and put the box on Emma's desk. "Thank you." He walked to the door with a knowing smile, but before leaving he looked at David and added, "Good Day, Mr. Nolan," and left.

"Freaky guy," David commented to Emma once they were alone.

"Every town has one." Emma added, approaching Mr. Gold's Box.

"That mobile is beautiful. It was one of the first things I noticed when I entered his shop for the first time," David told Emma following her to check out the box.

Emma lifted the lid, pulled on the mobile's top string and watched as what was left dangled out. "Well, it's clearly not anymore. What a shame." Emma's heart sank as she watched half-unicorn bodies spin around on their stings; some had only their bodies while others were now just horse heads – flying around hornless. "You can still tell, somebody put in a lot of love to make this for a child," Emma smiled and put her finger on one of the heads, spinning the little mobile. "I wonder what kind of life that child would have…to have parents who would buy such a beautiful glass mobile to use for such a short amount of time and then just give it away to a pawn shop," she wondered to herself, forgetting David was still beside her.

David watched Emma play with mobile. He watched her smiling softly, touching half a unicorn every time it slowed down spinning it back to a normal speed. It was then that something suddenly clicked within him. "Oh. My. God."

David's words made Emma drop the precious mobile. It fell to the floor and shattered the remaining half-pieces. When Emma moved down to the floor to try and salvage whatever was left of the beautiful object, she felt David's hand on her arm, forcing her up to look at him.

"What?" Emma demanded. The two stared at each other yet again. Now Emma could not mistake what was in his eyes: something Emma had never seen before – unconditional love.

David put his hand on Emma's check, his thumb tracing soft lines on her skin. With his voice cracking, he said softly, "Emma?"

Emma closed her eyes at his touch for only a second. When she opened them again, she saw heavy tears running down both his checks.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thank you to and <em>HarrylovesGinny09 and OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout<em>. Reviews keep me updating. I really hope everyone is enjoying my story! What do you want to happen next? Who do you think broke the mobile?


	3. When You Try Your Best

When Emma Leaves Storybrooke

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

Chapter 1: When You Try You're Best

_Ten Seconds Later_

"Emma?" David asked again. Emma started to worry. The pair hadn't moved since David touched her skin: his thumb still tracing her reddening checks.

Emma eyebrows buried in confusion, "What's Wrong?"

With tears still running down his face, David told her, "You found us. You came back."

"What?" Emma pulled back from his touch "I didn't come back. What on earth are you talking about?"

"You found us…" David mumbled to himself.

"Found who?" Emma crossed her arms. "I'm starting to think I should call the doctor. I don't understand your behavior at all." Emma looked at the man before her: clearly not drunk, but not stable either. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm your father," David blurted out.

Emma looked at his serious face for a moment. Within three seconds, a mixture of emotions flowed through Emma.

For one second, happiness filled Emma's whole being. She had waited to hear those words her whole life – and there they were.

The next second, Emma tensed. She tried to suppress the gut instinct that her superpower lie- detector was telling her – he was not lying.

At the third second, a small laugh escape her lips. "You talked to Henry."

Light filled David's face. "Henry knows about this?"

Emma blinked in disbelief. "There's nothing to know about!" Emma raised her voice. "You are not my father!"

"Look at you." David's eyes now searched her whole body. "You're safe." David smiled. "You're in one piece." David reached out to touch Emma. "You're incredibly beautiful."

"And I'm leaving," Emma's anger started to boil. "Stay away from me." Emma grabbed her keys and ran out the door.

David followed and ran out the door as quickly as he possibly could. "No! No. Wait! Please!"

He stopped outside. Emma, _his Emma,_ had disappeared.

Blonde hair had just entered and left the corner of his eye. "EMMA!" He yelled after her, running in her direction.

David sprinted and when he reached Emma, he grabbed her arm. "Wait!" Emma turned to face him. "Please," he begged.

"Let go of me!" Emma yelled in his face.

"Don't go." He pleaded in a whisper.

"Let. Go Of. Me." Emma repeated in a quiet, yet scary tone.

In the one second David had to look at his daughter before he knew she would run from him, David noticed her tears flowing down her checks. The sight forced tears out his own eyes again. "I'm sorry," he said and gently let go of Emma.

Emma quickly walked along the sidewalk in the back of the police station for a yard before stopping. She stopped where she was but did not look back.

She waited.

"I'm so sorry," she heard from behind her. "I know this is a shock for you. It's a shock for me too." Emma heard David footsteps approach her. "I know if I had heard that out of the blue I'd freak out too," he let out an uncomfortable laugh. "Especially if I had never heard it before and from someone my own age."

David let a moment pass in silence. "I wouldn't believe it either," he added sadly.

"I've heard it before," Emma admitted through her tears.

David's heart stopped. "What?"

Emma dismissed his question and said seriously, "That doesn't mean I believe you."

"Ok." David was just thankful she wasn't running away. "What would?"

Emma's eyes turned to silts in anger. "You think there's something magical you can say to make me believe you?"

"No, I probably couldn't say anything." David took a deep breath. "But I know you will believe me eventually."

"Why?"

"Because you are my daughter, because we are family, and my family always finds each other."

Emma laughed in disbelief again. "Do you know how crazy you sound? Why haven't I called the medical professionals yet?"

David caught her eyes and looked straight into them. "Because part of you believes me." David took a deep breath, knowing his next sentence might scare her off. "The same part that is keeping you talking to me now."

"Don't talk to me like that," Emma demanded angrily.

"Like what?"

"Like you know anything about me."

"Oh, Emma," David started. "I know you were born two weeks early – which is why you were sent away by yourself – we meant your mother to go with you. I know the glass mobile that just broke in your office was handmade for you. I know we sent you away from us because we had absolutely no choice. I know I sent you away, naked; with only a wool blanket to keep you warm because we had no time to dress you, and I know - "

"A wool blanket because you had no time to dress me? Really? That's what you're going with?"

"Yes," David let out. "But I knew the material would keep you warm. Plus, it had your name on it so you could keep the name we gave you…"

"What?"

"It had 'Emma' embroidered on it…It's fine if you don't believe me, but I want to know how you were named."

"I have to go." Emma firmly announced.

"What?" David asked, confused.

"I have to go," she stated again. "Can I do that or are you going to run after me all day?"

"No, I'm not." Sadness filled David's face. "You'd probably just arrest me again."

Emma wiped the last of her tears off her face. "I'd probably put you in one of those cells for crazy people."

David felt her lightness in tone. "Storybrooke has one of those?"

"You don't want to know," was the last thing Emma said to David before running away from him, leaving him speechless.

Emma didn't know where she was running, or how long she had been running before she stopped. When she did, she closed her eyes and let her tears flow down her checks.

She stood there for, well, she didn't know how long, with her eyes closed feeling the breeze pass her face into her hair. When Emma opened her eyes she let out a small laugh, not believing her run had taken her here.

Henry's Castle.

Or what was left of it now. Emma had to admit it looked more like a pile of wood than anything else. One could only tell it used to be a castle from the plastic roof parts lying in the sand. The sight forced Emma to let go of the last tears swimming in her eyes.

"Damnit," Emma cursed at the woodpile. "Don't go thinking I'm going to – like - put you back together or anything."

The breeze stopped blowing off the water and all that was left was Henry's castle parts in the sand: mocking her.

With every bone in her body telling her not to, Emma forced herself into the playground. She fell, butt first, into the sand and leaned her back into one of the plastic roofs. She started to stare at the ocean.

"Emma?" Someone said, but she didn't hear whoever it was, her trance perfectly protected her from whatever and whoever needed her.

"Hey, Emma," Henry tapped her shoulder. No response. "What's Wrong?" Henry once again received no response. "Emma!" Henry raised his voice and shook her.

Finally out of her state, Emma looked at Henry. "What? What?"

Henry let go of her, and asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know." Emma answered honestly. She noticed Henry's face turn into one of great concern. Trying to regroup for him, Emma sat up a little and added, "It's peaceful I guess."

"What's wrong?" Henry repeated his question.

Emma smiled softly at Henry, "Nothing."

"You know your superpower?" Henry waited for an answer. None came. "I think you pass it on to me because I know you're lying."

Emma took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For abandoning you."

Henry's shocked look on his face made Emma feel even worse. "You didn't abandon me, Emma." Henry reached out to her. "What's going on?"

Emma responded to his touch by placing both her hands on his face and looking at him straight in his eyes. "I love you, you know."

Henry smiled slightly, still worried. "I love you, too," he said for the first time to Emma and put her arms around her.

After a few seconds, he pulled back to look at her, hoping the look on his face would force her to talk to him.

"Everything's okay, Henry. I promise."

"You promise?"

"Yeah," Emma started to get up, she pushed herself off the plastic roof. "It's just some police stuff that's getting to me. I'll see you soon, okay?" Emma said and started to walk towards the town.

"Soon?" Henry asked, catching up with her.

"Soon." Emma stopped and reassured him. Mother and son faced each other and both tried to put on a smile. "I have my radio if you me, okay?"

"Okay." Henry said.

"Okay." Emma said.

And their moment was over. Henry went one way, Emma the other.

"Hey!" Emma heard Mary-Margaret's voice, which was louder than usual; greet her when Emma quietly entered the house.

Emma softly shut the door behind her. "Why are you so chipper?"

"Because…" Mary-Margaret said in a tone of voice that forced Emma to look around.

David was sitting at the counter, drinking tea.

"What are you doing here?" Emma firmly demanded.

"Mary-Margaret invited me over."

"And, what?" Emma crossed her arms. "You forgot I live here?"

"No."

"I thought you were going to leave me alone."

"I was, but - "

"What's going on?" Mary-Margaret interjected.

"Emma, I was just coming over to tell Mary-Margaret that I could not stay today, and - "

"Cleary," Emma moved her head towards the two half-drunken teacups.

"You know if you stop cutting me off, I could say something worth while."

"I don't want to hear what you have to say!" Emma raised her voice and started up the stairs to her room.

"Emma!" David called after her, moving to the stairs.

Mary-Margaret cut in front him. "David, what's going on? Why is Emma so upset?"

David paused, and took a deep breath. "Can I talk to Emma for one minute and then I will explain everything?"

"No," Mary-Margaret defended Emma. "She doesn't want to talk to you. This is her house too."

"I need to talk to Emma." David stepped back, grabbed something that was laying on a box in a back corner, went around Mary-Margaret and ran up the stairs to Emma's room.

Thankfully, the door was unlocked. David saw Emma on her back, lying on her bed, facing the ceiling.

"Emma." David said firmly with no response. Then David noticed Emma's large headphones surrounding her head.

David tapped Emma on the shoulder and pointed to her baby blanket that he was holding in his other hand.

David waited for Emma to take off her headphones. "Why did you lie to me?"

Emma got off the bed to stand up and look at him incredulously. "Accusations. Really? That's how you want to start this conversation?"

"No…I…I just can't believe you didn't say anything…I can't believe you kept it."

Emma did nothing, but crossed her arms, waiting for him to say something worth her time.

Silence.

"Really?" Emma crossed her arms. "That's all you have to say?"

"Emma…" David tried to plead, but the curiosity about where his daughter got such an attitude got the better of him.

"First of all, I didn't lie to you. Second, you need to know that for me, this blanket doesn't prove anything. And," Emma took a moment to pause for meaning, her eyes begging for understanding. "This is the most honest thing I have ever said to you: I am not comfortable with you or this situation. Trust me when I say, right now, you of all people don't want to go claiming you were the one responsible for abandoning me my whole life."

"Abandoning you?" Hurt enveloped David's whole being. "We never, ever meant to abandon you."

"Well," Emma felt the blood rush to her head, her anger now at a turning point. "That's what happened! My parents – whoever they are, and I assumed they were not my age – abandoned me to side of the road!"

"Okay. I know you're probably mad, but -"

"Probably mad…Probably MAD!?"

"-You can't talk to me that way, Emma."

"You're not in any position to tell me how to talk to you," Emma snapped at him. She turned around, grabbed her keys on her bed, and ran down the stairs.

"Emma!" David yelled after to her. "Where are you going?"

Emma turned to face him. "Away. Away from Storybrooke. Away from you."

"What?"

"Emma," Mary-Margaret softly said. "What about Henry? What happened?"

Emma looked from David to Mary-Margaret back to David. "This," Emma took her blanket from David. "Is mine," she stated before walking out the door and slamming it behind her.

"Emma!" David followed her out the door.

David managed to run to her car before her. "It's you're destiny to save us. You are the one who can break the curse."

"I don't believe in destiny."

"You have to stay here. Your family is here. You can't just leave."

"No," Emma smirked angrily. "YOU can't leave. I can leave whatever I want."

"Please," David begged.

"You suck as a dad." Emma pulled her car door open with tug and put her blanket in the passenger seat to accompany Graham's Walkie-Talkie. She then pulled out of Mary-Margaret's driveway without looking at him.

All Emma could see was the road out of Storybrooke.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So yes, heavy chapter - but hopefully enjoyable. I really feel strongly that Emma would never just accept her parents - her destiny even if proven to her. Given how she grew up - I completely believe that Emma would run. For those who might be concerned, this is David's first day (or I guess 2nd after her birthday) being a dad, give him a chance. A huge thank you to my reviewers: Lola, <em>HarrylovesGinny09 and OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout<em>, and E.C. Lestrange. I can't tell you how exciting it is to write and receive feedback. It makes me so happy!


	4. But You Don't Succeed

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 2: But You Don't Succeed_

Storybrooke. An Hour Later.

"What took so long?" Mary-Margaret demanded when she opened the door to David. "I hope you didn't crash my car."

"No. Don't worry. Your car's fine."

"Then where is it?" Mary-Margaret asked looking over David's shoulder.

"It's on the side of the road on the outskirts of town."

"What!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed angrily.

"It ran out of gas."

"I filled the tank this morning!" She retorted.

"Mary-Margaret," David said soberly. "Emma's gone. She drove out of Stroybrooke."

"I know," she said in a matter-a-fact tone. "What do you expect to happen after you corner her and force her to talk to you?"

"Are you going to let me in? It's cold out here."

"I don't think I should. Why don't you go figure out a way to return my car back to me."

David could see Mary-Margaret's coldness in her face and then realized her whole body was tense. "I promised I would tell you what was going on."

"Yeah, but you don't have a good history with keeping your promises to me."

David looked straight into Mary-Margaret's eyes: a thousand deeper meanings passing between them.

"I thought we were pass this," David responded, trying to stay in the moment.

"I guess we're not." Mary-Margaret's quiet voice reinforced the sadness David saw in her face.

"Please," David begged, reaching for her hand. "Let me explain. I need your help."

"My help?" Mary-Margaret asked, shocked. She pulled back her hand. "With what?"

"With Emma."

"Emma?" She repeated, with disgust. "You run her out of town forcing her to talk to you. Now you want my help forcing her back into town so you can torment her some more?"

"Yes."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because she's your daughter."

Green eyes met blue ones and then Mary-Margaret knew.

Mary-Margaret opened her door wider to let David inside.

For she knew he wasn't lying.

Boston. Friday Night.

_13 new voice messages. 25 new texts. _

After the first two ignored calls from David, Emma had turned off her phone during the car ride out of Storybrooke to Boston. Graham's Walkie-Talkie was still on, sitting in the front seat next to her. It was silent throughout her journey.

Currently, Emma sat on a bench in Boston's Common staring at her phone debating if she should open any of her new messages knowing exactly who the two people all of them were from.

Her parents.

Her parents?

Her parents!?

_Why was David right? Why does part of me believe him?  
><em>

She turned her phone off. Back on. Quickly off again.

The park was crowded tonight. People off all ages walking through it, enjoying the night with loved ones.

And there she was: alone.

Everywhere Emma looked families were together. Some families were new, with babies in their arms or in the strollers and some families were older with teenagers bickering over parents' attention or their cell phones or whatever game they played to pass the time.

She was always alone.

A toddler was crying close to her. Emma turned her head to find the source. A father was holding his daughter tight with a painful expression on his face: He'd give anything for her to shut-up, but nothing he could provide at that moment would sooth her. He rubbed her back, but her crying continued. Finally, the father lowered himself to the grass, gently placing his daughter on the ground out of his arms.

By the time the father had reached for a toy out of his backpack, his daughter had already stopped crying. Some fireflies flying around her in the grass caught her attention. Both Emma and the father smiled at the same time. The two adults only had the same emotions for an instant, and then when the father went down to play with his daughter who was trying to catch the fireflies, tears filled Emma's eyes for the thousandth time that day.

She turned on her phone and chose to listen to last message first.

"Message 13: 'So, I'm sorry for all of my crazy messages. I'm new at this. I guess I do suck as a Dad. First day on the job and I have already forced you to run away from me. There's so much I have to say to you and I think on the phone – or at least in a voice message is not the right way to do it…I don't know though. Emma, you have a right to be hurt and upset, I'm not going to tell you how to feel or what to do. It breaks my heart that you feel like you were abandoned your whole life – that was never supposed to happen. I promise I will make it up to you. When you're ready, I want tell you what really happened. I'm worried about you. I wish you would call or check in somehow, but I guess I have no right to ask you for anything. Still, I'd appreciated it if you could. Bye, sweetheart.' End of Message."

Emma did not know what to think, or what to feel, or what to do. All she knew was his message had calmed her down somehow in someway she didn't understand.

Now what? Was she just supposed to believe that the man who had left a message that could calm her down was her father?

Belief?

It wasn't about belief.

Despite what Henry said, in her life experience, belief doesn't make things true. Emma wasn't a kid anymore – and even when she was a kid, Henry's statement still would not have made any sense to her. No, Emma wouldn't believe she found her parents simply because Henry and David believed it. She needed proof.

Proof?

Was the blanket enough proof for her?

It sure was enough for David. Then again, he "supposedly" had remembered the blanket from a "past" life. How did he know about the blanket if he didn't remember it? It doesn't seem like the type of thing Mary-Margaret would ever have reason to bring in conversation. Emma admitted that it was odd David could describe the only gift she connected to her parents without even seeing it.

Connection?

Mary-Margaret had said she had felt some sort of connection to her when they met. Did she feel it too? If she did, it was so deep there's no way she was conscious of it. How about David? Emma always thought Henry's ramblings had made her think about him differently. Now that she thought about it, Emma could remember making a conscious choice not to think of David at all.

A conscious choice not to think at all.

That sounded good at the moment.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. A few seconds later.<em>

"She still won't pick up her phone," David called to Mary-Margaret as she went to make more hot chocolate.

"She turned it off, David." Mary-Margaret stated for the thousand time that evening.

"I swear it was just on."

She turned to face him, and looked at him knowingly. "I thought you promised her you were going to stop."

"No, I promised her I wasn't going to tell her how to feel or what to do anymore."

"Is there a difference?"

David took a deep breath and softly threw his phone down the table, physically letting it go for the first time. He put his hands over his face as if cleaning it without water. "I don't know."

Mary-Margaret brought the hot chocolates over to table and placed them there. Her hands went to his face to comfort him. With her thumb tracing his check, she said, "It will all be okay, I promise. Emma will come back."

David looked up at her statement. He placed his hands on her arms. "Does that mean you believe me?"

"I don't know." Mary-Margaret kept her hands on his checks, but closed her eyes. "Maybe."

"You told me just an hour ago that her blanket smelled familiar to you."

Mary-Margaret smiled sadly. "I don't think that means anything." She opened her eyes and looked into his. "I don't think you want me to believe you right now."

Sadness came over David. "What?" He asked softly. "Why not?"

Mary-Margaret removed her hands from his face, grabbed Henry's book from further down the table and held it up. They had argued loudly about his book an hour ago. Now the conversation was soft and quiet. "Because this book doesn't mean anything to me. Don't you want me to tell you I believe you when I actually remember the content in the book? "

"So, you're open to the idea?"

Mary-Margaret smiled, and David felt her lightness of tone. "I usually don't allow crazy people in my house."

David smiled back at her, reaching for one of her hands.

"All I can say is," she looked at Henry's book and then back at David. "I've now heard the theory enough times in this town to know it means something. Whether it's just a legend, I don't know. As I've now told you, I felt a connection to Emma when we met. Through our relationship as roommates and friends I have grown to love her."

"You do?"

"Of course. I just don't show it by pounding her with calls and texts."

"Hey!" David pointed at her playfully and then at her phone on the counter. "Don't pretend you haven't been doing the same! I've seen you trying to hide your phone beneath the counter."

Mary-Margaret opened her mouth as if responding to an accusation of great offence. "I have not," but then David looked at her and leveled her with his eyes. "Okay!" She said, and he smiled. "But just to contradict all your crazy messages!"

David leaned forward into Mary-Margaret, their faces moving closer. "Well, she should have some balance in her life."

"Balance is good," Mary-Margaret said into his lips before they molded together.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. Midnight.<em>

A man shut off the lights to his workshop in the back of his store. He took his cane from the wall and walked to his store counter where he kept his key in the cashier box. He picked it up, locked his workshop door, and then proceeded down his shop to finish locking up for the night.

He heard a crunching sound beneath his feet. "Oh, yes," he said to the empty room. "Of course."

The man looked down at the fragmented glass pieces on his store floor and smiled. "Those Charming unicorns." He slowly walked to the back of his store again to grab a broom and a dustpan.

He continued to smile slightly as he finished sweeping up the glass on his hardwood floor. Once all the glass was in his dustpan and no evidence of a mobile could been seen, he walked over to his trash can and let all the tiny pieces slide off to mix with other debris and discarded items, never to be seen again.

"It was never doing any good hanging in my shop, anyway."

The man finished locking up his shop. When on the other side of the door, he pushed on the handle to make sure it was locked.

It was chilly outside this time of night in Storybrooke. He stopped walking to button up the rest of his jacket on his way home. With one hand keeping the top part of his jacket closed and the other holding on tightly to his cane, the man continued on his journey home.

When he passed the heart of downtown, something made look up. Whatever it was: gut instinct, worry, hope, or his personal fears that made up do it, he would forever regret his decision.

The hands on Storybrooke town clock had stopped moving.

It was stuck at four o'clock that afternoon.

"Damnit, Emma," the man cursed at the clock. He starred at the clock, not moving, for one more minute before turning his back on it. He did not want to look at the still clock ever again.

He would have to take another path to work tomorrow, if he needed to show up anywhere at all.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: The clocks stops and my story truly starts to begin! People that made me happy this week? Lola, <em>HarrylovesGinny09 and OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout<em>, Aod4L, and kuramaangel. I am so glad you guys are enjoying my story and that my story ideas can connect to people other than myself. Until next time!


	5. When You Get What You Want

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 3: When You Get What You Want_

_ Boston. Saturday. 9am._

"…_.Like a bolt out of the blue_

_Fate steps in and sees you through_

_When you wish upon a star_

Your dreams come true…"

Emma's hand slammed down on the hotel alarm clock. "Oh. My. God. What kind of hotel visitors set their alarm to Radio Disney?"

Emma had not slept well that night. In fact, Emma was not sure if she had even slept at all. She was sure, however, that there were 641 flowers on the ceiling – for she had counted them all - twice.

Not knowing what else to do, Emma had just made the decision to start counting the flowers again when her phone buzzed. Her head turned at the noise, wanting to make sure it wasn't police business; she looked at the caller I.D.

Mary-Margaret.

Emma turned her head away from her phone, a sad smile appearing on her face. Emma did not know if she should be ashamed to admit this or not, but part of her liked being needed for purely personal reasons and feeling no obligation to respond to their requests.

But her smile disappeared quickly as she looked around the empty hotel room. Except for her baby blanket, walkie-talkie, and her purse, the room was dry and flavorless. It was not a home. Emma tried pulling the covers over her head a rolling up in a ball.

Her attempt to drown out the world lasted only five minutes before Emma stripped the bed in anger.

Room service was ordered. Television was turned on. And Emma finally found a position on the stripped bed that suited her.

* * *

><p><em> Storybrooke. 11am. <em>

"Good morning," David said to Mary-Margaret as she opened the door into her house for him.

"Someone's in a better mood today," Mary-Margaret commented on his behavior. He responded to her comment by giving her a quick kiss. She laughed, "What on earth has gotten into you?"

"You were right, Emma going to come back."

Mary-Margaret face turned serious. "You doubted she would come back?"

David was silent. He went over to Mary-Margaret's kitchen to start making both of them some lunch.

"Is that why you were so upset yesterday?" Mary-Margaret asked softly, trying to catch his eye.

Again, David couldn't say anything or look at Mary-Margaret, he continued to bring ingredients out of her fridge for sandwiches.

Mary-Margaret softly approached David and put her hand over his to stop him from doing his busywork. "Hey," she said sweetly. "Of course she's going to come back. Her son is here. Whatever happens between you and Emma or me and Emma, she will always come back for him. I've seen how much she loves him. Emma would do anything for Henry."

Mary-Margaret's words meant to comfort David. Instead she saw the heart-broken, defeated look on his face from yesterday reappear. "I wish she knew I would do anything for her."

David silently begged for Mary-Margaret's understanding, instead, she turned away from and started making the sandwiches that David had left untouched.

David reached his hand out into the air, as if asking for more. "…And here's the part where you say 'she's does.'"

"Of course she doesn't," Mary-Margaret said shortly.

David flinched. "Excuse me?"

Mary-Margaret finally looked at him. "Well, do you know Emma?" She raised her eyes on her last word to emphasize it.

When David could not do anything but looked shocked, she added, "She doesn't allow anyone to do anything for her. At all."

"She's independent, that's okay." David defended Emma.

Mary-Margaret took a deep breath, "It's not independent, David. Emma's..." She searched for the right words. "Emma's closed off…she won't trust anyone…she's puts walls all around her to keep other people out. She just keeps stacking them up and if someone is able to take one down, she just put two back up in its place. Which is why…" she cut herself off.

"Which is why she ran out of Storybrooke." David finished for her, putting pieces together in his head.

"…And probably why she won't call either one of us back."

The two of them were silent for several moments. Mary-Margaret finished making the sandwiches and walked to place them on the table. She looked back at David for a moment and then sat down, leaning her head in her hands.

David sat down across from Mary-Margaret. He noticed a frown on her face for the first time in two days, some distant sadness sweeping over her.

"Mary…" David reached for her hand. She let him take it.

"I tried to call her this morning," she admitted.

David smiled slightly, "I thought we said we weren't going to do that anymore."

The sadness on her face only deepened. "Yeah, but it's different."

"Different?" David asked softly, trying to comfort her.

"I somehow thought if I called her without you…without you here with me…it would be different…have nothing to do with you." She took a deep breath, knowing tears were coming. "Our relationship has nothing to do with you…She…We could always talk to each other, you know – about whatever it was – and now she's completely shutting me out," tears then started to run straight down Mary-Margaret's face.

"I'm so sorry," David said, rubbing his thumb against her hand to try and comfort her. "This is my fault."

"No, it isn't." Mary-Margaret squeezed his hand to reassure him. "Like I said, Emma's closed off and she has those walls, and I knew the more I pushed the more walls she would put up. I knew that and pushed anyway."

"Mary-Margaret…" David began, cautious of his question. "The walls she puts up…why…why do you think…what makes her do that?" David stumbled over his words.

Mary-Margaret looked in his eyes with significance. "Why do you think?

David's eyes met Mary-Margaret's only for a moment before shutting them completely. "So…we…so…she," he rambled to darkness. "How did Emma grow up?

Mary-Margaret's tears ran thick down her face. "What do you mean, 'how'?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Did she ever talk about it with you?"

"David…" Mary-Margaret softly pleaded. "Don't ask me this."

"Please."

She covered her face and wiped fallen the tears from her checks. "Where did you think she was going when you put her in the wardrobe?"

David froze, thinking. He had no idea. "Hey – wait a moment – does this mean you remember?"

"No," Mary-Margaret answered quietly. "I heard the story from Emma and then from Henry," she admitted with an apologetic tone.

There was silence in Mary-Margaret's home. All the couple could hear was her wall clock in her kitchen.

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Tick._

_Tock._

"So," Mary-Margaret broke their silence. "Do you remember putting any thought into where she was going?"

Tears started to form in David's eyes. "No…I think all I was worried about at the time was that she would be safe from the curse."

"Okay," Mary-Margaret accepted his words and his story with a somber tone.

_Tick._

_Tock._

"So," David started, hoping to change the subject to something a little more cheerful. "What should we do now?"

"I don't know…all we can do it wait, I guess."

_Knock. Knock. _Mary-Margaret and David looked at each other, whomever it was knocking had a knack for timing.

"Hey, Emma," the couple heard Henry's voice on the other side of the door. "You will never guess what happened!"

He knocked again. Mary-Margaret slowly and sadly went to open the door for Henry. As she opened it, he finished saying, "The city clocked stopped moving! I wonder…"

Henry looked around for Emma, only to see Mary-Margaret and David. "I'm sorry," he said, now looking slightly uncomfortable. "Where's Emma?"

* * *

><p><em>Boston. Noon.<em>

"Up Next," Emma heard the television voice tell her. "Walt Disney's first animated classic. 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' A princess. A prince. An evil queen. A poisoned apple. True love's kiss. The timeless tale for the whole family."

Anger boiled in Emma's veins. She violently reached for the TV remote. In her movement, she knocked the morning's orange juice over. It spilled onto half of her bed and spread to her baby blanket, turning the beautiful cream color to an ugly orange.

Emma pushed her blanket to the floor and quickly grabbed the remote. She finally was able to turn the TV off. "I don't believe in signs!" She yelled to the empty room. "Or destiny! Or fate! Or any of this!"

Emma switched to the other queen bed in the room. She lay on the pre-made bed and turned her eyes back to the flowered ceiling. She began counting the flowers again:

109.

110.

111.

Her eyes switched from the ceiling to the nightstand – where she slammed the remote down after turning the TV off.

Emma reached for the remote and placed her finger on the power button.

"…One love only for you," she heard the prince sing. Emma watched him as the princess' bird land on his finger.

Off.

On.

Off.

On.

"But Your Majesty, the little princess."

"Silence!"

Emma smiled sadly. At least in Henry's mind, Graham was with her at this very moment.

She put the remote softly on the nightstand.

At this moment, that was enough for her.

She curled up in a ball and turned to face the screen completely.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. A Few Moments Later.<em>

"What do you mean she left Storybrooke?" Henry dropped his backpack on the floor and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Well, She - " Mary-Margaret started.

"She's upset, Henry." David finished for her.

"Yeah. I know." Henry said in tone conveying their information was obvious. "I saw her yesterday afternoon – that was clear."

Both Mary-Margaret and David peeked up at his last statement. "You saw her yesterday?" They asked together. "What did she say?"

"Why did she leave Storybrooke? What did she give you for leaving?" Henry avoided their questions.

"She's angry at me, Henry." David bent down to level with Henry. "I pushed her too hard."

"Pushed her to do what?"

"I-I" David stumbled over his words, not knowing what to say.

Mary-Margaret looked from the boy to the man, wondering who was more grown up at that moment. "David told Emma that he was her father and it freaked her out so she ran away."

David looked at her, astonished. "Mary-Margaret!"

"What?" Interjected Henry. "You remember?"

David was too busy giving annoyed looks to Mary-Margaret to answer Henry.

"What?" Mary-Margaret responded to his rude stares. Her arms lifted in Henry's direction. "He knows!"

"You remember you're Prince Charming?"

"It's actually Prince Ja-"

"Prince James! I know!" Henry shrieked. "This is amazing!"

Both Mary-Margaret and David couldn't help but smile at Henry's excitement. For a moment, his excitement overshadowed their grief over Emma's disappearance.

"Do you remember too?" Henry turned to Mary-Margaret.

Through her closed-mouth smile, she answered. "No. Not yet," with her eyes twinkling at Henry.

Henry looked from Mary-Margaret to David, still sensing some tenseness and uneasiness between them. He calmed down a little. "Why are you guys upset?"

Mary-Margaret and David stood up straighter in response to his observation and both tried to put bigger smiles on their faces. "It's nothing," both of them told Henry.

"No really," he looked seriously from one to the other. "I bet I can help you."

"It's Emma…" David told Henry.

"She won't call us back," Mary-Margaret added.

"We don't know where she is."

"Or if she's okay," Mary-Margaret finished.

Henry listened to their banter of information and then turned his back towards them. He walked to the door and grabbed his backpack. Then, Henry pulled out his walkie-talkie.

He looked at it with meaning and then looked at the couple before him, both of their faces surprised and amazed.

Once more Henry's eyes darted from his walkie-talkie to the couple. He pressed down the talk button, "Hey, Emma?"

Five seconds passed.

Then ten.

Mary-Margaret and David began to look discouraged. "Emma?" Henry asked the walkie-talkie again.

Two seconds. Three seconds.

The scratching on the other end made the couple look up. "Henry?" They finally heard Emma's voice.

Smiles spread on the faces on all three of them. "Hey," Henry said joyfully.

"Hey, Kid," Emma responded.

"Are you okay?"

One. Two. Seconds felt like eternality for the couple.

"Yeah," was Emma said to the room.

Henry looked at the two adults before him and asked. "Where are you?"

Another moment. David wondered if Emma was debating giving Henry an answer.

"I'm in Boston."

"I thought you gave up your apartment."

"I did," she said quickly.

"Then where are you staying?"

"I'm staying with some friends." This statement relived David. At least she would have someone to talk to, he thought.

"I thought you told me you didn't have any friends," Henry remarked.

"Henry…"

"Where are you?" Henry asked again.

"I told you, kid, I'm in Boston."

Now there was silence on Henry's end for a moment.

"The clock stopped moving," he finally said.

"What?"

"The town clock. The one that started moving when you checked into Granny's. It stopped.

Another long moment passed.

"Henry, I can't talk about this right now."

"Okay," Henry responded.

"Are you okay, kid?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Silence. "I have to go now."

"But-" David's clapped his hands to his mouth, hoping his voice didn't make it to the walkie-talkie speaker.

"Who was that?" Emma asked Henry.

"No one," answered Henry.

"Are you with David?" Henry froze. Emma's voice changed to anger. "Did he put you up to this?"

"No! It was my idea!"

Mary-Margarettook the walk-talkie from Henry. She pressed the talk button and said, "It was Henry's idea, Emma. We promised we were going to leave alone. We did not tell him to contact you."

Silence.

Click.

The other side of the walkie-talkie turned off.

* * *

><p><em>Boston. Midnight.<em>

Emma went to bed with tears in her eyes for the second night in a row. It was worse tonight. Shock at Henry's betrayal had brought Emma to the point where she could no longer count more than fifty flowers on the ceiling.

So, she lay asleep on the pre-made bed now. Her clothes still on and her trail of tears still etched on her face.

Perhaps Emma would have had a completely different experience that night if only she had looked on the hotel where her baby blanket lay.

Her blanket still lay amongst the spilled orange juice gathered in a puddle. But now, it was no longer orange.

Emma's blanket somehow had turned back to its original beautiful cream color.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Okay, in all honesty, all my readers have to thank <em>kuramaangel<em> and _OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout_. For their reviews inspired me to finish this chapter so quickly.


	6. But Not What You Need

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 4: But Not What You Need_

_Storybrooke. Sunday. 9am._

"We should've remember that Sunday mornings are not a good time for breakfast at Granny's," David commented to Mary-Margaret when they entered the diner.

Mary-Margaret looked around the restaurant. "Are there even any seats left?"

"Doesn't look like it," David told her as he surveyed the room after her. "Maybe we should just leave." He paused, trying to sense how Mary-Margaret was feeling. "It's not like this town likes seeing us together."

Mary-Margaret responded to his comment by looking straight ahead. "You would think after all this time they would've settled down."

"It's just so weird. Everyone back home loved us together."

She lit up at his comment and turned to smile at him. "They did?" She asked with excitement.

David put one arm around her and gave it a squeeze. "Of course they did." With a shared smile, both of them leaned in for a kiss, but then heard:

"Hey Guys!" It came from the back corner booth of Granny's. Both of them turned their heads to see Henry raising one arm high into the air and waving to them excitedly.

"At least we have one fan," David said as they made their way to Henry.

"Hey, Henry," Mary-Margaret said as she slid into the booth. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Henry said back to her.

"How's it going?" David asked him after taking his seat next to Mary-Margaret.

"Great," Henry replied.

"Great?" David and Mary-Margaret asked together, surprised.

"I talked to Emma this morning," Henry said casually and took a sip of hot chocolate.

"You did?" Mary-Margaret asked for reassurance, smiling.

"What did she say?" David pressed further.

"Not much," Henry pulled out menus for the pair. "She sounded better though."

"That's great," she smiled at the news. "I glad you two had a chance to talk."

"What did you guys talk about?" David asked again.

Henry shrugged. "School, my video games, my other mom. Nothing important."

"Was she still mad at you or us for letting us hear your conversation yesterday?" Mary-Margaret asked.

"I don't know," Henry answered honestly. "I said I was sorry. She said 'okay,' and that was it. I knew not to press the issue."

David and Mary-Margaret looked at each other, impressed with the boy's maturity.

Henry's noticed the unusual look between them. "What?"

"Nothing," David replied. "You're just handling all of this very well, Henry."

Henry blushed a little at David's statement. "I just know Emma will come back, I guess."

"Still," Mary-Margaret commented seriously. "You're handing this better than David and me."

"Well, she talking to me." Henry stated a little too quickly.

From their serious and hurt faces, Henry thought he might have gone too far. But then David smiled and from his smile, Mary-Margaret started laughing. Once the pair caught the giggles, all Henry could do was follow.

There was nothing Henry would rather do at that moment than sharing his first laugh with his grandparents.

All three of them were so caught up in the moment that they couldn't notice the bell signifying the door to Granny's was open. Regina, with her black suit and high heels, entered Granny's to the sound of Henry's laugh. It made her smile; she had not heard her son laugh so hard in years.

She walked further into Granny's. It was only when Regina noticed with whom he shared his laughter with did her smile start to leave her face.

* * *

><p><em> Boston. 11am.<em>

It was nice to have a shower.

It wasn't that Emma had forgotten this fact or hadn't had a shower in such a long that the concept was foreign to her. No, Emma had just forgotten that sometimes – rarely – a good warm shower could take away one's troubles completely.

Emma had just stepped out of bathroom in the hotel's fluffy robe. Not wanting to put on her clothes from the day before, she leaned on a corner of the hotel wall, thinking what she should do next. It was then that she saw it:

Her blanket.

Emma bent down to take a better look, not believing her eyes. Surrounded by orange juice, her blanket was still perfectly creamed colored. The beautiful purple ribbon still its deep, strong color that Emma had always loved so much.

"What the hell?"

Careful not to step in orange juice, Emma picked up her blanket. It felt the same too. It wasn't wet, sticky, or heavy from absorbing any kind of liquid.

"No way."

Was her blanket always like this? Or did Henry's theory somehow change an inanimate object? Come to think of it, how did her blanket survive her wild childhood with her without getting stained somehow? How could she not have noticed it before?

Emma moved towards the end of the bed. She picked up her purse, now half ruined by trickles of juice running down the carpet, and sat on the foot of the bed.

Gum. Water. Police badge. Cell phone. Walkie-Talkie. Half a candy bar. Wallet. Keys. Hair bands. Makeup. Hairbrush.

Then she found what she was looking for.

Pens. Scissors. Tweezers.

She took all three items, placed them on the bed, threw her bag on the floor, and starred at them. Finally deciding ink was the lesser of the three evils, she took the cap off her pen and brought it to the blanket.

"Wait." She drew back then pen. Did she really want to hurt her precious blanket? Her beautiful blanket? The only possession she had kept with her whole life? The only gift her parents had given her?

Screw it.

Emma dragged the pen across the cloth. No mark.

Emma picked up the scissors faster than she could think. She opened the blades wide and tried to cut across the blanket. She couldn't. No cut tore the material.

Emma threw the scissors across the bed. She picked up the tweezers a little more carefully. Not that they were more dangerous, but Emma knew she would need a little more concentration to make them work properly. Emma took up a corner of the blanket and started to tear the blanket apart thread by thread.

Of course, the blanket did not tear.

Emma starred at her blanket. A part of her always knew that it held the answers to who her parents were. Although, she always thought it would tell her who they were, not what they were.

"Oh. My. God."

Emma leaped up from the foot of the bed. Quickly, she threw all her stuff in her purse, and got dressed. Then she ran out of the room.

All her stuff went into her purse, except, of course, her blanket. She clung it tightly to her chest and raced down the hall of the hotel.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. Noon.<em>

"Henry's a great kid," David shared with Mary-Margaret as they made their way through the woods of Storybrooke. The couple was holding hands during their morning walk, enjoying the brisk air.

"Yeah, he is." Mary-Margaret agreed with David quietly.

"But?" David asked her, trying to figure out why she was so quiet.

She turned towards him, shrugged and said, "But nothing."

"What's wrong?" He asked and squeezed her hand.

"Nothing."

"Mary-Margaret," David pulled her arm, lightly, to turn her to face him. "What's going on inside your head?"

"Nothing," she answered honestly. "Just enjoying our nature walk."

To that, David didn't know what to say. So, the couple continued their walk through the woods in peace for another half-hour without saying a word to one another. Mary-Margaret squeezed David's hand whenever she felt appropriate, and David would often respond with a squeeze back or sometimes a quick kiss.

To date, this morning had been the nicest Sunday morning that Mary-Margaret could remember.

"I miss Emma," David blurted out to the woods.

Mary-Margaret let out a small laugh of disbelief. "You don't even know her."

"I know her a little bit. We have had several conversations over the time that she's been here."

"Tell me one personal thing about her." Mary-Margaret challenged David's statement.

"I know that she believes her parents abandoned her to the side of the road."

"She believes?" Mary-Margaret removed her hand from David's and crossed her arms. "You don't think that happened?"

"I-" David started.

"That's not a belief type of thing, David. That actually happened. Emma was found on the side of the road and went through the foster care system until she was 18. You do understand that, right?"

"Yeah," David admitted, but sadly added. "That wasn't my point."

"What's your point, then?" Mary-Margaret started to argue.

David sensed her change of tone, and backed off. He responded quietly, "I just meant that I know Emma too."

Mary-Margaret held her arms tighter to her chest and turned from David. She started walking back towards her house.

David jogged to catch up with her. "Are you mad?"

"No." She said sharply.

"I'm sorry. I'm new at this father thing. I don't know what to say all the time."

"Here's some advice." She paused and then quickly added, "Not that I know anything about being a mother, but -" Mary-Margaret finally turned towards him. "I know Emma. And I am telling you, as curious as you are right now, the best possible thing to do is nothing. Trust me."

"I can't do nothing."

"You were doing a pretty good job for about 15 hours there."

"But-"

"David," Mary-Margaret said firmly. "I can't talk about Emma anymore, okay?"

David looked at her serious face and his own filled with empathy towards her. "Okay."

With his promise, she walked quickly back home, David following closely behind.

Once they entered Mary-Margaret's house, she went to the back of it before David could even get passed the door.

"Here," she quickly returned. "Emma will kill me for giving this to you. But the way I see it there are two benefits." Mary-Margaret forced Emma's box of old belongings into David's arms. "One, it gets you out of my head for a few hours, I have to grade some papers. And two, it might help you understand Emma so you don't have to keep punishing yourself for pushing her out of town."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"That's exactly what you're doing."

David starred at her in disbelief for her ability to understand things about himself that he did not.

"Go." Mary-Margaret pointed to the door. "Now."

David smiled at her demands. "You're really cute when you do that."

She walked to the door and opened it for him. "Bye."

David walked to door. "Bye," he repeated her exact connotation. Giving her a quick kiss, he added, "Thank you for the box," and was out the door.

* * *

><p><em> Storybrooke. Midnight.<em>

The town of Storybrooke was deserted tonight. No rain. No Archie. No welcome. That was okay. Emma actually preferred it.

She turned onto Main Street. Only two lights glowed at this time of night. She would have to add improving downtown lighting to her to-do list when she returned to work tomorrow.

Emma stopped opposite Henry's house. The house was completely dark except for the front porch light. She starred at his window, thinking about how much she missed him and how excited she was to see him tomorrow.

Onward. Two turns, and she parked in Mary-Margaret's driveway. Emma didn't wait in thought or apprehension in the car.

She quietly closed her car door, and quickly made her way into the house.

There she was. Her mother.

No, still too weird. It's not that Emma didn't believe she was her mother anymore. But Emma had just always known her as Mary-Margaret.

Emma starred at her for a few moments, watching her sleep peacefully. Happiness came over Emma and a wide smile appeared on her face.

When Mary-Margaret turned over in her sleep, Emma decided it was time to go to her room. She changed, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and then went to her bed.

She couldn't imagine sleeping in it. Not after she had spent two days in total solitude and knowing Mary-Margaret was sleeping alone downstairs.

Emma crept down the stairs, carefully turned over the covers to the vacant side of the bed.

"Emma?" She heard Mary-Margaret whisper.

_Damnit_, Emma thought as Mary-Margaret turned over to look at her.

"Hi," Mary-Margaret whispered again, reaching to touch Emma's shoulder.

Emma met Mary-Margaret's eyes. "Hi," she whispered back.

Mary-Margaret's index finger started making circles in Emma's skin. Strangely, Emma didn't mind her touch, she kind of like it actually. "Are you okay?" Mary-Margaret asked sweetly.

"Yeah." The look in Emma's eyes reassured Mary-Margaret, although she also saw a weird mixture of happiness and hurt in them as well.

As if Emma knew what Mary-Margaret was thinking, she closed her eyes. For several minutes Emma just enjoyed Mary-Margaret's warm touch on her skin.

With her eyes still closed, Emma whispered. "I missed you."

Her words touched Mary-Margaret's soul; she would remember this moment forever. "I missed you, too," were the last words Emma heard before she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I hope this chapter was worth the wait! I so understand the feeling of waiting for author's updates, so thanks for waiting :). Special thank you this week are to fictionfrek101, HarrylovesGinny09, Sariko-chan723, , The-White-Tiger-of-the-West, addexlover, plasticbarbie4life14, readsmorethanishould, Angelbratt, and es03. What a honor to be included in your favorite stories. I will try to update soon, I promise!<p> 


	7. When You Feel So Tired

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 5: When You Feel So Tired_

_David's House. Monday. 6am._

Emma's box of her possessions sat on David's dresser. He had gone to bed staring at it. Now, after a terrible night's sleep, the sunlight had highlighted something shinny and it awoke him.

David kept looking at her box, his temptation becoming harder and harder to fight.

_If you want to have a trusting relationship with your daughter, this isn't the way to do it. _

_Emma's not even here. She won't know I looked in the box. I'll bring it over to Mary-Margaret's before work.  
><em>

_A father should know what's important to his daughter. If Emma's so closed off, how else am I going to know her?_

With excitement, David jumped out of bed, leaped to his dresser and brought the box to his living room floor. He sat down with it and scanned over the top of the box.

Folders and papers filled a third of the box. Something inside an orange envelope the size of large index cards was pushing its was out; the envelope obviously too small for its contents. _Oh! The Places You'll Go, Oliver's Twist_,and _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ leaned against some folders. Movie tickets, two old birthday cards, a menu to a small café David didn't know, a thick green ribbon, her first driver's license, blank postcards from Boston, San Francisco, and Arizona, and finally David saw what woke him - a beautiful necklace with a glass pendant in shape of a swan.

David picked up the pendant first. The glass swan had a quality to it that reminded him of her glass unicorns on her mobile that broke three days earlier. It was clearly expensive. Delicate and elegant, the necklace sparkled every time the sun touched it through his window. David wondered who had given it to his daughter.

Next, David picked out the books. He noticed each one of them had a note inside the cover addressed to Emma:

In _Oh! The Places You'll Go: For Emma, who doesn't yet know the wonders of the world or the strength of her heart. I know your heart will take you around the world and back (and maybe to a unknown world in between). Congratulations on you elementary school graduation, sweetheart. – Mrs. Hillman_

_In _Oliver's Twist: To Emma, See orphans can be badass! I know you wished to find your parents for your birthday (no matter how many times you try and deny it!), but I hope this book helps you understand you don't need to know your roots to know your place in the world. May your 14th year fill you with fun and adventure – John K.

In _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Emma, I heard about this book from some friends. They said in it, a boy's magical parents die and he is forced to grow up with his non-magical relatives until he learns he's a wizard. For some reason it made me think of you. I am sorry that things ended so badly between us. I know you think it's your fault. It wasn't. I hope Harry and his friends bring you to a magical world where you can escape from your heartache. All the best, Steven._

Silent tears started flowing down David's face from the first note and only increased as he read on. It was so bad that, when he had finished, David put his hand to his heart, leaned against his wall, and closed his eyes. Each of the notes hinted at wishes unfulfilled, potentials not reached, and heartaches.

When David's tears had slowed down, he chose another item from the box. He felt the orange, small envelope in his hands. With a deep breath, he carefully opened the envelope.

Pictures.

From a whole lifetime Emma saved only about 25 pictures: Emma and another girl riding tricycles in a yard, Emma playing dress up with a young boy, Emma sticking her tongue out at the camera, at sundown Emma on in beach – tired, a science project, an elaborated fort made out sheets, Emma eating ice cream, an older Emma and boy with their arms around each other, the same boy giving her a kiss on the check, one of a beautiful horse, another of a diner, a man standing beneath the diner's sign, pictures of Emma and girl posing in park, pictures of high school graduation, Emma in jeans wearing a plastic tiara – laughing, and a bunch of portraits of people that obviously meant something to Emma.

Though the pictures made him sad – he didn't need another reminder that his daughter grew up without him – somehow he was smiling through most of them. Emma seemed happy in the pictures. The collection before him gave him a little hope – especially after hearing from Mary-Margaret how screwed up her life was.

David was about to pick out another large envelop when his phone rang. Quickly he rose to answer it and look at the caller I.D.

Emma.

His heart jumped. "Emma," he answered. "Hi."

"Hi."

There was an awkward pause. "How are you?" He asked.

"I'm okay."

Another awkward pause. Then Emma asked, "Um, how are you?"

"I'm glad to hear from you."

"Yeah…." Emma mumbled off softly. "Look," she said more clearly, "I was wondering if you had breakfast yet."

David's heart skipped another beat. "No," he answered honestly.

"Okay, well," Emma paused. "Mary-Margaret made a huge breakfast and Henry is going to come over and I was maybe wondering if you wanted to join us." She asked him nervously.

"Us?" David almost couldn't believe what she was implying. "Does that mean your back in town?"

"Yeah," Emma told him uncomfortably. "I came in late last night."

A huge smile appeared on David's face. "Really?" He waited for Emma to answer. She did not. "I'll be over as fast as I can!"

"Okay," Emma's voice was shaky with nerves, but David was too excited to notice.

* * *

><p><em> Mary-Margaret's House. 7am.<em>

"Henry!" Emma said excitedly as she opened the door to her son. "I missed you," she scooped up in a hug.

Henry responded by putting his arms tightly around her neck. "I missed you too." They clung to each for a few more desperate moments before Henry pulled back enough to look at her. "I'm glad your back."

"Me too," Emma said softly. Henry responded to her answer by putting his head back on her shoulder.

As the mother and son were embracing, David was walking up to Mary-Margaret's door. He stopped to watch the scene unfold when Emma finally spotted him.

Henry felt Emma tense up and turned in her arms to find the source of her stress. "Did you know he was coming?" he whispered to Emma.

"Yeah," Emma whispered back. "I invited him this morning."

Henry smiled, leaped out of Emma's embrace, and said, "Good morning," to David.

David smiled and said, "Good morning," back to Henry.

After greeting Henry, David looked up back at Emma. She had now crossed her arms and watched as Henry went inside. When their eyes finally did meet each other, both froze.

"Hi," David finally said.

Emma didn't say anything back. David noticed a far off look in her eyes, he didn't know whether to worry or not.

The next moment, thought, the far off look disappeared and Emma pointed inside. "Come on in," Emma said with an apologetic smile.

David followed Emma inside and saw Mary-Margaret and Henry already sitting at the table. "It smells so good, Mary-Margaret."

"Thank you, David." She replied sweetly to his compliment.

All four family members sat down at the table, passed food around, but nothing was said. Henry looked at Emma and David at Mary-Margaret, both men trying to figure out what to say.

"So, Henry," Emma finally broke the silence. The three others turned to look at her. "Did you have a good weekend?"

"Uh," Henry felt pressure to talk, and he didn't particularly want to now – as he saw it as an excuse to fill the silence. "Yeah."

However to Emma, learning about Henry's weekend was anything but an excuse. "Do anything interesting?"

"No," Henry said nervously.

"Hey!" David imposed on Emma and Henry's conversation. "Having breakfast with you grandparents isn't interesting?"

There was a moment where everyone had a small reaction to his words, but Emma tried to avoid it by adding, "Huh, sharing a meal with your grandparents sounds like a treat to me, Henry."

Another moment when everyone at the table, including Emma, had to comprehend what she was saying before Henry said, "Well, um, I-"

"No worries," Mary-Margaret chimed in. "I guess we'll have to do a better job at spoiling him."

Emma, Mary-Margaret, and David shared a smile while Henry looked offended. "No! That's not what I meant!"

The three of them laughed.

When the table had quieted down and Henry had stopped blushing, he said, "Does that really mean all three of you believe David and Mary-Margaret are my grandparents and Emma's parents?"

His comment took all the remaining smiles off the other three faces. When Henry noticed this, he added, "Not to ruin the mood or anything."

"No, Henry. It's not that," Mary-Margaret started. "Personally, I feel like outsider to a club in which you three belong."

"No." Emma said almost on top of her. "I feel that way to, Mary-Margaret. I said this to Henry a long time ago: Believing Storybrooke is town is full of Fairytale characters and I am actually the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming is a lot to ask. It's still a leap for me. It's like something that is too big for me to understand. I feel like David and Henry are on a whole other level than I am."

"Emma," David said her name sadly.

Emma turned to David. "My baby blanket is magical or something." Everyone at the table peeked up at Emma's confession. "I couldn't harm it. I accidentally spilled something on it and the material repelled it. Then I tried to harm it in other ways and nothing happened."

"Really?" David asked excitedly.

"Really," Emma told him.

"So," David began cautiously. "If your blanket is magical, you believe I am-"

"-The closest I've ever been to finding my father." A huge smile appeared on David's face. Emma, however, could not look at him, and turned away embarrassed and sacred. "Is it possible to believe that you're my father and not Prince Charming?" She asked the wall.

Noting the fear in Emma's voice, David said softly, "I'll take it."

"Sure," Mary-Margaret added with a smile. "Supposedly Charming isn't his name anyway."

Mary-Margaret's comment brought laughter back to table, putting a smile on Emma's face, and all of the tension in the room disappeared in an instant.

"Now," Mary-Margaret continued, "All you have to do figure out this time-stopping, age-preventing thing, and you're golden," she said with sarcasm.

Emma finished her food and said in the same tone, "Huh, I'll have to work on that one."

Henry, David, and Mary-Margaret smiled and followed Emma's lead of clearing the dishes.

"Oh, my. Henry," Mary-Margaret said quickly, looking at the clock. "We're going to be late for school."

Everyone followed her lead in looking at the clock.

"Wow," Emma commented. "Breakfast went by fast. Mary-Margaret, do you want to -?"

Mary-Margaret rushed in and out of her bedroom, gathering her things. "Yeah, I'll take him. Henry, let's go." She opened the door for him, and Henry went through it with a quick wave to Emma.

David and Emma watched the rush before them with amusement. When Mary-Margaret and Henry had left, and it was just the two of them, their smiles disappeared when they looked at each other.

"So," David started.

"I actually have to get to work as well," Emma said and pointed to the clock.

"Right."

Awkwardness filled the room.

Emma took a deep breath. "You want to walk me?"

"I'd love to."

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke Police Station. Noon.<em>

"As promised. Turkey on Rye with Potatoes chips." David announced to the room.

Emma looked up from her desk at his voice. "Perfect. Thank you." They had made lunch plans on her way to work this morning.

David pulled up a chair on the other side her desk. "My pleasure. I'm glad we could have lunch today."

Emma blushed a little. She admitted, "Me too," with embarrassment.

David smiled at her. "How's your day going?"

Emma liked the direction the conversation was going. She could do casual on the surface conversations easily. "Slow, actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I hope I don't jinx it or anything, but so far so good."

"Have jinxes ever played out for you?"

Emma smiled. "I don't know. It's more of a physiological than anything else I'm sure. But, yeah, sure, jinxes have factored into my life one way or another."

"Care to share any?"

Emma finished her bite and sat a moment in thought. "Nope."

David let out a small laugh and smiled at her cuteness. "Fair enough."

Careful not to let the conversation go to deep or have any awkward pauses, Emma quickly asked, "How's work going for you?"

"Good. Three or four dogs came in this morning."

"Do you like dogs?"

"Yeah. I'd much rather be around horses, though." Emma said nothing and looked away. David then knew he had gone too far. He didn't want to talk about himself anyway. "Do you like being a police officer?" David tried hard to keep the conversation in the moment.

Emma turned back to him. "Uh, yeah. It's nice to know what's going on in Storybrooke and solving problems when I - "

"Sheriff Swan." Both Emma and David turned at the same moment. Regina had just entered the station.

"What are you doing here?" David asked Regina harshly.

"I could ask you the same question."

"I- " David started, but Emma put her hand on David's arm as if to warn him.

"How can I help you, Mayor?"

Regina looked at David coldly for a moment more before turning to Emma. "I came to reinforced the fact that you and Henry are not able to spend any more time together. You leaving town is just further proof that you are someone unstable in his life."

"Now, wait a moment-" David started again, but Emma managed to stop him.

"I understand." Emma straightly told Regina.

"I-" Emma's comment took Regina off guard. So, she added. "Shouldn't you be at work, Mr. Nolan?"

David looked to Emma to see if he was allowed to speak. "He gets a lunch break," Emma said shortly. "It's not illegal for us to spend time together too, is it?"

With one more cold look to both of them, Regina walked out about the station.

"We'll see about that," she whispered under her breath.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Wow! Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. It means so much to me that everyone is enjoying my story. I hope my readers view my promised fulfilled as to my quick update. As usual it wouldn't feel right without thanking <em>OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout<em>, Lola, HarrylovesGinny09, fictionfrek101, Kuramaangel, Mila, Lady Elena Bella Petrova for their reviews are the reason the rest of you are enjoying this story. Fictionfrek101, I hope this chapter clears up your question. And,_OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout_ , as you might guessed the saga with her box is just beginning! Until next time!


	8. But You Can't Sleep

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 6: But You Can't Sleep_

_ Mary-Margaret's House. 7pm._

"Perfect Timing," Mary-Margaret announced when Emma pushed open the front door after her day at work. "We were just about to sit down to eat."

"We?" Emma looked around the room to find David and Henry helping Mary-Margaret finish up dinner. Emma crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the scene before her.

She was having a weird case of déjà vu. How many times were the four of them supposed to eat together before she snapped?

"No." Emma told the room. "No."

Everyone stopped. David put down the silverware he was holding and looked at Emma – worried and confused. Henry turned to Mary-Margaret to see if she was as confused as he was.

With one short look at Henry, confirming his suspicions, Mary-Margaret wiped her dirty hands on a nearby towel; preparing herself for the worst. "What's wrong, Emma."

Emma looked at her and pointed between David and Henry. "They can't have every meal with us, Mary-Margaret."

"Why Not?" The tone of the question forced Emma to turn to see which of the males in the room had asked in such a childish way.

Of course it was David.

"Well," Emma started and walked closer to the two boys. "For starters, where does your Mom think you are, Henry? She made it very clear again today we cannot be hanging out."

"Well-" Henry started.

"It's my fault." Mary-Margaret told Emma.

"What?" Emma questioned, surprised.

"Well, you see," Mary-Margaret stumbled over her words, embarrassed. "David was telling me how Regina came by the station today and she forbid you to see Henry and I-"

"You're unbelievable," Emma stated strongly to David.

"Hey, wait-"

"-Emma this is my fault-"

"-We're trying to help you-"

"The last thing I need is your help. I've gone 28 years without a dad, don't go thinking I need you to come to my rescue now."

"The things you say sometimes." David retorted quickly to her attitude. Then he imitated her angry tone. "Make it clear that's exactly what you need."

"And whose fault is that?"

"Emma!" Mary-Margaret raised her voice in shock of Emma's words.

"Get out." Emma demanded of David and pointed to the door.

"You can't kick me out of Mary-Margaret's house."

"Fine. Then I'll go." Emma grabbed a coat from the stairs. "Come on Henry. I'll take you home."

When Henry started to follow Emma out the door, Mary-Margaret ran up to them. "Wait. No. Henry can't go with you."

Emma turned around to face her, and she said incredulously. "Excuse me? You can't be serious."

"Regina thinks Ashley is watching Henry and helping him with a school project. If you drop him off there's going to be a problem."

Emma anger prevented her from having any response for a moment. She only blinked rapidly from Mary-Margaret to Henry to David. "Wow," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "I actually impressed. You are starting to break the rules, Mary-Margaret. Maybe the curse is having some effect on you after all."

"It was David's idea," Mary-Margaret admitted.

Emma let go of her crossed arms with a deep breath. "Of course it was."

"I really only trying to help, Emma." David said quietly.

"You want to help?" Emma's eyes challenged David. "Why don't you call Ashley so she can bring him home."

"I can bring him home," he told her.

"Or I can walk," Henry threw in the debate.

"No!" The other three responded strongly to his suggestion.

"Emma, I'm friends with Sean. I can even walk by his place and the two of us can walk him home together."

Emma paused in thought, not wanting to admit she liked the idea.

As if reading her thoughts, David interrupted them and said slowly, "It's a win-win for you Emma. Henry returns home without Regina knowing he was here and I get out of the house."

Her three family members could sense wheels turning in Emma's head. Mary-Margaret tried to catch her eye. When she finally did, Mary-Margaret was able to conveyed to Emma the strength of David's plan.

"Fine." Emma stated her decision.

"Ok." David turned to his take-charge mood: grabbing his hat and coat from the hooks on Mary-Margaret's wall. He turned back to Emma and with a heartfelt tone he said, "Thank you."

Emma simply nodded, put her hands on Henry's shoulders to reassure him and then to push him forward.

When Henry reached the open door, he turned back to Emma. He could tell she was upset, but Emma only waved once before David led him outside.

The door closed. When it was just the two of them, Mary-Margaret turned away from Emma and anger started to appear on her face.

"How could you-" she started.

"Don't." Emma cried.

It was only when Mary-Margaret heard the cry in Emma's voice that she turned around. Hurt and anger tore Emma's face. When Mary-Margaret saw Emma's conflict, her own anger was replaced with compassion.

"Emma," Mary-Margaret whispered.

"This is too much for me right now," she honestly told Mary-Margaret.

"Ok." She responded softly. "Fair enough."

The two women looked at each other for a serious moment. Then a slight smile appeared on Emma's face. Mary-Margaret mirrored her movement.

"You hungry?" She asked, continuing to break the ice.

"Yeah."

"Good," Mary-Margaret motioned her head to the counter and Emma followed. Emma then went to put the salad on the table. Mary-Margaret pulled the chicken out of the oven, just a little over cooked now, placed it on the table and sat down after Emma.

After sharing a few bits in silence, Mary-Margaret said, "I'm glad it's just the two of us."

Emma looked up from her food and smiled at her. "You are?"

"I am."

"Me too," Emma admitted back. Emma raised her glass to Mary-Margaret, "To the girls of the family."

Mary-Margaret brought her glass to Emma's. " To the girls." She took a sip of wine, and then said, "If only I remembered the family part."

Emma looked at her sadly. "I should actually start to work on that, shouldn't I?"

All Mary-Margaret had to do was smile.

* * *

><p><em>David's House. 10pm.<em>

It still teased him.

David had not looked at Emma's box since that morning. Since he had been home – all day, really, if he was being honest himself – his thoughts were constantly coming back to Emma's box of sentimental items.

Now, as David had to be in his bedroom in order to go to bed that night, was the first time he had been in the same room with her box all day.

If her box had eyes, they would currently be in the World's better starring contests.

Of course, if her box really did have eyes, they'd probably be Emma's, peering into his soul and realizing his every thought.

David shook his head, trying to get the image of Emma's – and Mary-Margaret's – eyes out of it.

His movement did not work. In frustration, he angrily walked to her box and firming placed it on his bed. With another second of debate, David sat on his bed and started opening the folders he didn't have time to open that morning.

The papers read:

7 YEAR OLD BOY FINDS BABY ON SIDE OF ROAD

STILL NO LEADS ON DEADBEAT PARENTS: After weeks of futile searching; Baby Emma turned over to Child Services for Care.

The headlines filled David heart with empathy for Emma, anger at the Queen, and regrets and sadness for himself and Mary-Margaret. The contents of both articles strongly condemned Emma's parents. After reading them, David had a better idea of where Emma could have acquired her harsh opinions about him.

Infant medical records, two pictures, her record from Child Services, and a letter explaining Emma's unusual situation to her first foster family joined the two articles.

Though David took his new discoveries about his daughter easily than this morning – maybe it had to do with his knowledge of her whereabouts – the information nevertheless added weight to his whole being. However, no matter how many times Mary-Margaret or Henry or even Emma (if she ever did) reminded him of her dark past, David was determined to keep a positive outlook on her upbringing. Sure, it might have been bad – no loving father wants his baby left to side of the road or brought up by other parents – but the alternative would mean she would be frozen in time with parents who didn't know who they were.

David never would have guessed his opinions could change so quickly.

From next folder to the next to the next, his opinions and regrets changed from one polar opposite to the other.

Her School records reported Emma as being non-social, having almost no friends, they would say. Emma sat by herself most of time – never participating in group activities. Her grades seemed okay in middle school but only turned worse. She must have barely graduated high school – if at all – from the status of her grades. Some of forms from her high school years even implied she was a bully to other students and a serious troublemaker whenever it seemed possible.

He opened the next folder to find Emma had, for some reason, saved and kept the police reports on herself and saved a copy of her criminal record. David turned one page over to the next. The reports were disastrous: robberies, assaults, and minor drug dealings filled Emma's reports.

David took a deep breath every few minutes, trying to comprehend what he was reading. After looking over her papers a second time, David noticed the folder was filled only with a juvenile record – all of the reports marked her under 18.

Somehow it made him feel even worse. She wouldn't even have juvenile record if she had a consistent and stable upbringing. He analyzed the reports, and noticed the name of her parent/guardian would switched every couple years – to the point when he couldn't keep track of them all.

"Damnit," David swore at the box. He had seen enough. He tried to put everything back in its original place and marched the box outside to his truck. After angrily opening the passenger door, David put the box at its feet, grabbed an old blanket from the back of the truck, and threw it over the box – hoping he would be able to replace at Mary-Margaret's soon without Emma noticing.

* * *

><p><em>The Mayor's House. 11pm.<em>

Prince James and Prince Thomas walked her son home at eight o'clock that night. Together. All three boys were laughing and bonding without a care in the world. The image made the Queen's blood boil.

At present, Regina was at her desk drinking coffee. He desk was covered with maps, phone numbers, a basket full of freshly picked green apples, a special red apple leaning against the basket, and pictures of David, Mary-Margaret, Emma, and Henry together.

Regina brought the map of the hospital closer to her. She smiled when she confirmed her secret place no longer had any trace on the map. As if she built the building herself, Regina closed eyes and put her index finger on a certain point on the map. Her finger followed some sort of distinct path that would not have made any sense for someone looking at the map with open eyes.

When Regina's index finger stopped, she opened eyes and looked down.

"Perfect," she said with a smile.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. Midnight.<em>

Hardhat. Head-Light. A long rope. 2 cliff bars. Water. Walkie-Talkie. Tools. A winter jacket.

The backpack and its contents lay on the sandy, rocky ground and was currently being ignored by its owner. The owner was too busy moving heavy rocks by hand to notice the burying of the backpack by dust and dirt.

Finally, after several long minutes, the entrance to Storybrooke Mine was clear again.

The worker turned around. Their backpack was nowhere in sight. "What the heck?"  
>Feeling around with their feet, they moved towards the place where the backpack was dropped. "There you are. Let's Go," and with one more look towards the empty sky, they turned into the complete darkness.<p>

It was only then, when that particular person entered the darkness of the mine, did the clock belonging to the city of Storybrooke start to move once more.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Here's the good news about waiting so long for an update: I can tell you my story will have four more chapters and the ending will be awesome! Insider information? I was debating between a happy, bittersweet, and sad ending. I guess you will have to keep reading to find out what I chose! Many special thanks to Lady Elena Bella Petrova, Lola, OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout. I especially want to thank JainaZekk621 and Sariko-chan723 for their reviews – for their the shout-out, I'm so glad you're enjoying my story. I was sick last week, so with me feeling better and an ending picked, an update should happen soon.<p> 


	9. Stuck In Reverse

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 7: Stuck In Reverse _

_Mary-Margaret's House. Tuesday. 6am._

Her house was cold.

Mary-Margaret opened her eyes to the bird figure on her nightstand. She blinked, felt her blankets around her and pulled them closer.

Her house was never cold.

After debating whether she should ignore the issue and stay warm in bed, Mary-Margaret's better instincts told her she should already be out of bed.

Something was wrong.

And Mary-Margaret knew it. "Emma?" She asked loudly to the empty, cold house. No answer. "Emma!" she called even louder, running up the stairs to Emma's room.

Mary-Margaret opened Emma's door to an empty room. Emma's bed was made, and what was worse, her room was neat. The cleanliness of the room began to worry Mary-Margaret. Emma never left her room clean – Mary-Margaret knew that Emma's messy room is what allowed Emma to survive the rest of her organized house that the two of them shared.

"Emma!" She called again, now frightened. Mary-Margaret ran down the stairs all the way outside. Her eyes searched for Emma's car, hoping – if her car was gone – that she only had early morning errands to run in town and not –

There it was.

Her yellow bug was parked on the side of the road, a little further down the street than usual, but it was there. "Emma!" Mary-Margaret yelled out to the street. She could feel her heart start beating faster, her breath start to shorten rapidly.

If Mary-Margaret had ever had a panic attack before, she would know her present symptoms were usually how they started.

Without thinking, Mary-Margaret stuck her hand in a big side pocket of the jacket she quickly pulled on while running outside. Her fingers pulled out her cell phone and dialed without her conscious' permission.

The ringing lasted forever. "Mary-Margaret?"

"David!" She cried into the phone, out of breath.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Mary-Margaret sensed more alertness in his voice now.

"Emma's gone!"

"Gone?" David questioned. "What do you mean 'gone?' Did she leave Story-?"

"No!" Mary-Margaret said on top of him. "I don't know. Her car is here. So I-"

"Okay." David took a deep breath, trying to catch up.

"I think she's been kidnapped!"

"What? Why do you say that?"

"Her bed was not slept in last night and her car is here and -"

"Okay. Slow down. Maybe she had police business to take care of last night."

"No! Her car's here! She always drives to the station."

"Well," David started, grabbing for straws. "Maybe she didn't last night."

"David!" Mary-Margaret's panic worsened. "Something's wrong here!"

"I know. I'm going to come over there and try and help, okay?"

"Okay." There was a moment when neither said anything but neither hung up. "David. Hurry!" She added.

"I will," he promised and hung up the phone.

Mary-Margaret stood on the sidewalk, starring at Emma's car for another long moment when she noticed a single tear running down her face.

She brought her hand up to wipe it away. When she felt another tear starting to fall, Mary-Margaret ran back to her house to wait for David.

She checked the bedroom again and then bathroom and found no new signs of Emma. For the second time that morning, Mary-Margaret ran down the stairs worried and upset.

Knock-Knock.

Mary-Margaret opened the door to David. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," David said softly, noting her fuzzy pajamas and matching slippers. "Nothing new?"

"No!" She cried to him. "I don't know what to do!"

David put his hand on her shoulder to assure her. "Well, that's why you called me, right?"

Mary-Margaret smiled for the first time that morning. "Right."

David leaned down and gave her a brief kiss. "We will find her, okay?

"You promise?"

"I do," David looked straight into Mary-Margaret's eyes. "We will always find each other."

She seemed to catch a deeper meaning behind his words that he was trying to communicate. Mary-Margaret blinked. "What?"

David only smiled at her. "The three of us will always find each other."

She kept starring at him, trying to figure out what he was trying to tell her. When she couldn't put it together, Mary-Margaret decided to correct him. "Four of us," she finally said.

"What?" David asked, now confused.

Mary-Margaret shrugged. "Well, according to you, Henry is related to us too."

"Henry!" David exclaimed with excitement. "Henry!" He announced again, pulling Mary-Margaret into a kiss.

She pulled away and looked at him, puzzled. "What's so great about Henry? You knew he was supposedly related to you, right?

"Mary-Margaret!" David said with the same bubbly tone. "Henry will know Emma is!"

She leaped back into his arms and smiled. "Henry!"

* * *

><p><em>Outside The Mayor's House. 7:00am.<em>

"We can't just hide outside his house!" Mary-Margaret squeaked to David as they were hiding below some greenery on the edge of the Regina's property.

"It's a better idea than calling," David retorted back.

"Well, you're friendly with Regina. If she answered the phone it wouldn't be that big a deal."

"Not lately."

"What happened?"

"I told you," David whispered. "She saw me and Emma bonding."

"Oh. Yeah." Mary-Margaret turned from her spot in the hedge. "Still. We can't hide out in Regina's yard."

"Why not?"

"Well, for starters, we will look like kidnappers or crazy people or both."

"So? I don't care."

"So! We could look like the people who took Emma!"

"Shh!" David put his hand over Mary-Margaret's mouth. "And no one took Emma."

Mary-Margaret lowered his hand from her mouth. "I can just talk to him at school."

David turned to look at her, surprised. "Why didn't you say that before?"

A guilty look crossed Mary-Margaret's face. "I didn't want to wait a hour."

David crossed his arms and looked at her incredulously.

"What?" Mary-Margaret tried to defend her actions. "She's my best friend!"

"We shouldn't be here!" David whispered angrily.

"I've been trying to tell you that!"

The couple stood up together. Silently, they agreed to walk towards the school. With David's hand on the small of Mary-Margaret's back, edging her on, they finally made it off Regina's property.

"Miss Blanchard?" Mary-Margaret quickly turned at her name. Henry was looking at both of them with suspicion in his eyes. "What are you two doing here?"

Relief filled the couple. They looked at each other and then at Henry, guilt still all over both their faces. "We're looking for you." Mary-Margaret said quickly.

"Well, you can't be here. My mom would kill you."

"I've been trying to tell him that!" Mary-Margaret pointed at David.

"What are you doing here?" Henry repeated.

"Well-" Mary-Margaret started, trying to figure out if she should lie or not.

"We were wondering if we could walk you to school."

Henry crossed his arms and looked between them, putting the pieces together. "Emma's fine."

The couple perked up at his last statement.

"Really?"

"You heard from her?"

"Where is she?"

"Is she okay?"

Henry smiled as he watched the couple finish each other sentences, his head going back and forth between them. "She's fine," he repeated quickly.

"Where is she?"

"She's finding your happy ending."

"What?" David asked, confused. "Where is she?"

Henry shook his head. "Not here," he said and nodded towards his mother's house.

The three of them were silent for a moment. Then Mary-Margaret perked up again and asked in an unusually high voice. "Hungry for breakfast, Henry?

"Yeah," Henry answered, rushing ahead of them to Granny's.

David and Mary-Margaret turned on their heals and swiftly jogged to catch up with Henry. "That was easy, huh?"

* * *

><p><em>Inside The Mayor's House. 7:10am.<em>

"She's finding your happy ending."

Regina had slammed the front door after she heard the words coming from her son's mouth. They forced her to double her efforts. She went straight to work, implementing her plan she constructed last night. After the words she just heard, Regina called the necessary people to update them on whatever changes needed to happen with an added urgency to her voice.

Throughout her planning, Henry's words kept repeating over and over in her head:

"She's finding your happy ending."

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. 7:30am.<em>

She had been there for seven hours.

Emma expected the mine to be cold, dark, and damp. None of those attributes honestly bothered her. The fact she had been working hard for that amount of time without discovering anything was what bothered her.

Maybe Emma should've have asked Henry what to look for specifically when they had talked a hour ago, but she really thought her sign would be obvious.

Emma turned corner after corner, but nothing but rock surrounded her. At every turn, Emma would add to the map she started at the beginning of her journey, making sure she could return home when she wanted to.

And she was almost at that point. Emma was sure she'd find something in the mine – one or two of Storybrooke secrets must be here – her instincts knew it. But nothing was: no hints of diamonds, no broken glass from slippers, no reminiscences of anything that could help Mary-Margaret or herself remember or believe.

"Damnit!" Emma cursed the walls of the mine. She kicked a side of the mine. "Why am I even doing this?" She shouted in anger. "What am I doing here?"

To her question, Emma could swear she heard something in the mine grumble an answer back to her. She turned her head to find the source of the noise. Her eyes widen to what she could only guess was the effect of her voice. A rock fall had started several feet behind her and moved closer and closer to where she currently stood.

Faster and faster it moved. Emma could only run forward a couple of paces before the rocks caught up with her. However, almost like magic, the falling, rumbling rocks stopped at her feet. "Thank God," she whispered a little too soon. For right after she spoke, one last heavy rock fell from the pile and pushed her to the floor, knocking her out.

Sparkles of glass caught Emma's closing eyes. They rose to find the source.

The sparkles seem to come off something like glass top, almost like a lid to cover a human sized box.

A Glass Coffin.

Emma smiled when she connected the dots in her head. Her happiness only lasted a second before she completely passed out in the dark of the mine.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. 7:45am.<em>

"You're sure she's okay?" Mary-Margaret asked again.

"I promise you she's okay. I'm so sure Emma's okay that I'm not going to answer your question anymore." Henry promised Mary-Margaret and then took a sip of hot chocolate followed by a bite of his pancakes.

"Then why can't you tell us where she is?" David repeated his question to Henry for the third time that morning.

"I told you," Henry started to get annoyed. "It's surprise. Emma wanted to give you something special."

"We don't need anything," Mary-Margaret told him sweetly.

"Sure you do," Henry whispered slyly with a knowing smile.

The couple caught the look on Henry's face.

"Okay, Henry," David started, "Spill." He demanded.

Henry raised his eyes purposely to clock on Granny's wall. "Oh, look at the time! Miss Blanchard, we need to go to class."

"Oh my," Mary-Margaret commented. She put her napkin softly on the table, and scooted out of their booth. "We do need to go." She turned to David and the two of them shared a meaningful look. "When is Emma ever not okay?"

"That's the sliver lining I've been looking for all morning." David smiled and put his hand reassuringly on her check.

Mary-Margaret leaned down to give him a kiss. The kiss lasted longer than usually would be appropriate in Granny's Diner. "Bye," she whispered to him.

"See you soon," he whispered back. As soon as David opened his eyes from their meaningful kiss, his wife and grandson were gone.

After one more look towards the door, David went back to finishing his hot chocolate and oatmeal.

"David," someone close by had disrupted his thoughts.

David looked up. "Sidney," he said surprised. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Sidney said back and then gestured towards the empty seat across from David in his booth. "May I?"

"Uh, sure." Of all the people David now recognized from remembering his past life, he had to admit, Sidney was hard to place. The realization made him uneasy. He prided himself on knowing all the people throughout Fairytale Land, where could this person be from that he could not place him? "How can I help you, Sidney?"

"I was wondering if I could interest you in a daily paper this morning. It's always important to keep up with Storybrooke's daily news," Sidney paused trying to figure out how his pitch was working on David. "As I'm sure you know."

"Oh," David remarked, surprised. "Uh-"

"Each paper comes with a fresh apple this morning as - "

David raised his eyebrows in suspicion. "A fresh apple with a morning paper?"

"-A promotion technique, surely. I don't know if you know, but the paper has been having a hard time – business wise, of course – in the last few months. Apples are just a bonus to help make our readers happy with us again."

"An apple?" David asked again.

Sidney shrugged. "You know what they say." He pulled a beautiful red apple from his basket. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

David examined Sidney, trying to figure out his game. David took the apple. "More like an apple a day keeps your paper in business."

Sidney laughed. To David, the laugh was incredibility obnoxious. He paid him a dollar and took the paper from him just to make Sidney leave him alone.

Before taking a bite of the apple, David looked at Granny's clock, just like his grandson had done minutes before. "Oh, shoot!"

David placed the apple between his teeth, put his jacket on with his two free hands, grabbed his recently purchased newspaper and ran out the diner.

David did not make it to the sidewalk before he fell, fainted on the floor near Granny's picnic tables.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Cliffhangers are fun! Hugs (if you like hugs :D) to OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout, kuramaangel, JainaZekk621, HarrylovesGinny09, and Lola - Thanks for the wonderful reviews. I really love when you guys predict what's going to happen or tell me what you want to happen (not that it influences my writing in any way ;P). Thanks also to BookLover 223 and littlemissmittens for adding me your favorites list - what a great compliment!<p> 


	10. And The Tears Come

_When Emma Leaves Storybrooke_

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 8: And The Tears Come_

Storybrooke. 8:30am

Sidney's car moved along the dirt road as slowly and as quietly as he could drive. With his radio off and his backseat passenger silent, Sidney's confidence about his role in Regina's plan was growing.

He slowly turned the last corner on the dirt path and looked around. No one was in sight, Sidney smiled, perfect. After one more look over his shoulder, both to check for followers and on his unconscious passenger, Sidney grabbed his phone from the empty seat beside him and gently exited his car.

The area still looked unsafe to him, despite what Graham and the others had down to clean the place up after its collapse.

Now, looking down from the edge surrounding the mine's entrance, Sidney was afraid – not of being caught – but for the safety of himself. Regina might not know this quality about him, but Sidney Glass knew he was not one for big adventure, if he had his way, he would choose to help others from a small, defined place. Maybe that is why he works at the newspaper, he thought, he can influence people from one office.

But he didn't have his way. He was doing a favor for Regina – the beautiful Regina – and only knowledge of that fact allowed Sidney's body to move forward, cautiously, down the sand hill to examine any changes to the mine's entrance.

Sidney's surprise at the disturbed entrance, rocks to the right and left of the cleared opening, only enhanced his next feeling of stupidity. Of course Regina was right. To have had doubted her would be the same thing as doubting his own feelings towards her. After another minute of shaming himself, Sidney put his phone to his ear.

"You were right," he said to speaker.

"Thank you for checking," Regina replied in her sly voice.

"How do you want me to proceed?"

"Take the body to the location we discussed."

Sidney blinked and did a double take at her last words, as if misunderstanding her. "What about the disturbance in the mine?"

"I will take care of it."

"But - "

"You are already doing me a great service." Regina paused, letting her compliant sink in. "Let me perform my duties as mayor by continuing your own invaluable work to the town."

A slight and uncomfortable smile appeared on Sidney's face. "It's an honor to serve your city, Madame Mayor."

"I will check back with you in four hours."

"Your plan should be carried out by then."

"It better be." Regina finished and quickly hung up.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke Schoolhouse. 10:30am.<em>

"Henry?" Mary-Margaret looked up to see her student still sitting at his desk in deep thought after the recess bell had rung. "Did you hear the bell?"

Henry did not look up at Mary-Margaret's words, but continued to hold his walkie-talkie. "Yes," he mumbled.

A frown filled with heartbreak and concern for Henry broke out on Mary-Margaret's face as she rose from her desk and approached Henry. "You are worried about Emma, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Henry mumbled again, refusing to meet her eyes.

"I'm sure she'll be okay. Emma's always okay."

Henry finally looked at Mary-Margaret. "I'm not so sure."

Now Mary-Margaret could see his face, his fear passed to her when she realized she had never seen panic to that degree in Henry before. "Henry! Where is Emma?"

Henry starred at Mary-Margaret, knowing his information would cause even more panic than she was already experiencing. He took a deep breath, "She went into the mine to try and find a passage to Fairy-Tale Land."

Horror was evident on his teacher's face. "This is crazy!" she remarked to herself.

"There's more," Henry admitted after a few moments.

"More?" Mary-Margaret exclaimed. "More than Emma risking her life to find something that might not even exist?"

"Happy endings do exist, Miss Blanchard!" Henry argued.

"Not in my experience," she retorted.

"You'll have a different answer when you have your memory back."

"Not likely," she told Henry in anger.

"You will!"

"Henry! If what you're saying is true, then my daughter and husband were ripped from me 28 years ago. How is that a happy ending?"

"You had a happy ending, it just was taken from you! You'll have it again, I promise."

"Henry!" Mary-Margaret tried to return him back to reality. "Where is Emma? Is she still in the mine?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" She asked angrily.

"I haven't heard from her in three and a half hours."

His words forced Mary-Margaret back to lean on one of the desks in front of Henry. Her heart was pounding so hard that she thought it literary might jump out of her chest – knowing it was humanly not possible. Maybe her feelings right now were proof she was an immortal fairy-tale character.

Trying to keep hold of her bearings, Mary-Margaret focused on the coat rack in the front of her room that kept her purse and blue jacket she loved so much. Finally able to stand, she made her way over to the rack.

"Miss Blanchard, where are you going?"

"Where do you think?"

"You can't go find Emma now!"

"Why not?" She asked Henry with her back towards him, putting her left arm through her coat sleeve.

"For starters, it's the middle of the school day! If you leave, the school will have to call our parents which means my mom will find out."

Her realization to Henry's truth gave Mary-Margaret a reason to stop preparing to leave. Still, she said, "I don't care."

"Yes. You do."

"Henry!"

"Think about it. Your leaving now will only put Emma in more danger."

Mary-Margaret crossed her arms. "What's your solution then?"

Henry smiled a know-it-all smile. "David can do it."

* * *

><p><em>Beneath Storybrook. Noon.<em>

He was blindfolded. His hands were tied.

Feeling around, David could tell he was sitting on a metal table. David felt around him one more time before debating whether or not to move off the table.

"Don't do it," a female voice answered his thoughts.

David raised his head in the direction of her voice. "Regina?"

In response to his question, David felt Regina behind him, untying his blindfold. David kept his eyes closed for a few moments. For his instincts were telling him that if he opened his eyes, more bad news would come to him. He counted in his head.

One.

Two.

Three.

His eyes opened to darkness. It took a while to adjust to the one candle dimly lighting the chamber they were in.

"You were always the bigger threat." In his search around the room, David could not find the body matching the sinister voice he remembered so well now. For a second, he wondered if he was alone in the room, but then he found her – in the furthest corner from the flame. "I seemed to have forgotten that."

"You seemed to have forgotten a lot of things," David threw back at her.

"But not you though." Regina had to confirm. "You remember everything."

David did not respond, listening to his better instincts. After receiving no reply, Regina finally stepped closer to David, into the light, and the two of them made eye contact for the first time. "Don't you?" she tried to confirm again.

Again, David said nothing. Their power struggle continued when David refused to break eye contact with her.

"Don't think you should talk?" Regina smiled and turned her back on him. In a clean, direct movement, she walked forward and pulled a curtain off the wall.

108 small, locked boxes were now displayed especially for him.

Although David's whole body tried to shake in fear, David controlled his instincts. The only response Regina could see was David's eyes widening.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

><p><em> Storybrooke Schoolhouse. 1pm.<em>

The children couldn't exit her classroom fast enough. Mary-Margaret stood at the door helping – almost pushing – each of her students out of door in a single-file rush to enjoy the afternoon after a minimum day. Finally, it was just Mary-Margaret and Henry inside her classroom.

She turned to face Henry. The boy was waiting for her: coat buttoned, backpack on, and holding her coat and purse, to lead her on their mission. The pair allowed themselves one worried look between them, before Mary-Margaret told him, "We need to go."

Her words were his cue. Henry quickly walked to the door, gave Mary-Margaret her possessions, and followed her out.

"Are you sure David is missing?" Henry asked, trying to keep up with her longer strides.

"He's never taken this long to return any of my calls. The animal shelter said he didn't turn up for work today." She stopped talking to catch her breath. "Do you have any ideas about where he is?"

"He could be in the mine with Emma," Henry offered.

"You told me a lunch that was unlikely when I suggested it. How would he figure out she was there?"

"I don't know. Fatherly instincts?" They turned a corner. Henry saw the sign for Granny's come into view. "Do we really need to go in there?"

Mary-Margaret stopped walking. "We need help."

"No we don't! The more people we involve, the worse it is going to get."

"You don't know that." She reached the diner. "And besides, the last time someone was stuck in the mine the more people helped, the faster they could reach you and Archie."

"That was on the Queen's orders! She wanted them there!"

Mary-Margaret ignored Henry. She walked in and quickly located Ruby. "Ruby," she said softly after lightly tapping her on the shoulder.

"Mary-Margaret?" Ruby turned around. When she saw Mary-Margaret's face, she could sense there was a problem. "What's wrong?"

"I need your help."

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke Mine. 2:30pm.<em>

"I told you I wouldn't be able to help." Ruby told Mary-Margaret for the third time as they continued to walk through the mine.

"You are helping. Emma told me your skills at tracking people are unparalleled."

"Well, Emma doesn't know what she's talking about."

Mary-Margaret stopped in her tracks, took hold of Ruby's arm, and stated. "Emma always knows what she's talking about."

Ruby shrugged the words off. "Well, we've been in here for an hour and I still haven't found her."

"We spent 45 minutes going in and out of the front entrance of the mine after we found it was blocked by a cave-in. Now that we have taken the spooky elevator down the other side, I'm sure you'll find her."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. So, please, stop doubting yourself and help me find my friend." Mary-Margaret let her grief fill her for a moment and added, "If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself," before recovering.

When Ruby saw the grief in Mary-Margaret, she ran ahead, turning left at fork in tunnel. Mary-Margaret watched her go, closed her eyes in relief and fear, and then ran after her.

Ruby could run faster than Mary-Margaret ever imagined. Thinking about her long legs, she should have put it together. "Mary-Margaret! I found her!" Ruby yelled down the tunnel.

Mary-Margaret ran faster once she knew Ruby had found Emma. "Oh my god," she whispered as leaned down closer to Emma's unconscious body. "Emma? Emma!" Mary-Margaret yelled in fear.

The walls creaked. Both Mary-Margaret and Ruby looked up at them with anticipation.

"Yelling in a mine? Probably not a good idea."

Mary-Margaret's eyes bulged. "Look who's talking!" She whispered with emphasis.

Ruby looked from Emma's limp body to the tears forming within Mary-Margaret and then around the dark mine. In her search she could find one way out - the same way they came in. Only then did fear overcome Ruby. "Mary-Margaret," she cried. "What should we do?"

Ruby noticed Mary-Margaret now shaking Emma hard to wake up. It clearly was not working. Slowly, Ruby crouched down to her and put a comforting hand on Mary-Margaret's shoulder. "Mary-Margaret, stop," Ruby whispered, "This isn't working." Nothing happened but Mary-Margaret shaking Emma more violently. Ruby turned her head to see a broken Mary-Margaret like she'd never seen. Her skin boiled, her thick tears in a never-ending flow down her face, from shaking Emma – her own body now shook on its own.

Ruby tried to pull Mary-Margaret off of Emma. "Stop!"

"No!" She clung Emma closer to her. "No, Emma!"

Ruby pulled on her again. When that didn't work, Ruby put both her hands on her checks and turned Mary-Margaret's face to hers. "Mary-Margaret. I can save her. Let me help you."

It took a moment for Mary-Margaret to feel Ruby's thumbs running back and forth across her checks. "Emma knew I could help. You need to have faith in me, faith in her."

An unspoken agreement passed between them. Slowly, Mary-Margaret let go of Emma and stood up. It hurt to watch Ruby work, grabbing supplies out of her bag one item at a time. So, Mary-Margaret turned her back on them, unable to look at either of them any longer.

She crossed her arms tightly in front of her, hugging her chest, as more thick tears continued to run down her face.

A sparkle in the dark.

Her headlight had caught a piece of a diamond or glass buried in the tunnel. "What the heck?" It caught Mary-Margaret's interest enough so she could drop her arms and forget a little bit of her fear dwelling inside of her.

She approached the source of the sparkle. The glass was stuck between some rubble, and took a long time for Mary-Margaret to break it free.

Even before it was free of the rubble, however, she knew what it was:

The beautiful lid to her glass coffin.

Her fingers traced the engravings on the glass. New tears sprung as memories flashed before her. She held the glass to her body and finally turned back to the two girls sitting on the floor.

"Emma?"

* * *

><p><em>Beneath Storybrook. 3pm.<em>

Regina stood before him, a heart in her fists, ready to be squeezed.

David couldn't help the tears falling down his checks. "What do you want from me?" He finally decided to speak after three hours of physical and emotional torture.

"Nothing now, James." Regina threatened quietly. "I brought you down here to have a little chat." She paused, every second becoming more and more twisted. "Sadly, you weren't interested in talking. You thought you could outsmart me." Another evil pause passed. "And now you're sitting there, tied up and helpless and I am standing in front you with Mary-Margaret's heart in my hand."

His tears had stopped falling, his old ones now permanently etched on his face. "Why are you doing this?"

Regina's eyes moved from David to the heart in her hand. She looked at it, beating in her fist, and said, "Because this is my happy ending," before squeezing the last beat out of it.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Isn't that Queen really evil? I wonder if she's more evil than the author who left you with that Cliffhanger. :). Huge shout-outs to Lady Elena Bella Petrova, La5021, little princess of mercury, HarrylovesGinny09, ifyourheartwearsthin (I love that song), and Lola. Maybe I'll update soon - but maybe our beloved characters are better off where there are. :O!<em>


	11. Streaming Down Your Face

When Emma Leaves Storybrooke

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 9: Streaming Down Your Face_

_Storybrooke Mine. 3pm._

"She's going to be fine," Ruby turned her head from Emma and whispered to Mary-Margaret. "She breathing and has a strong heartbeat. My guess is a rock probably knocked her out."

Mary-Margaret held on to her coffin lid as if it was her lifeboat, still trying to connect dots and piece together memories in her head. Emma looked so much like Charming she couldn't believe it. From what Mary-Margaret could remember, both from Storybrooke and Fairytale Land, Emma had her exact attitude and spark that she had when she was Emma's age, and, of course, Emma did have her chin. Despite Emma's present condition, happiness and pride started to swell inside of her.

"Emma?" Ruby asked softly. She continued to lightly shake Emma, and Mary-Margaret didn't understand what Ruby did differently than her. Then she noticed how soft and calm, but in control Ruby was handing the situation, unlike when she tended to her daughter: uncontrolled and panicked.

Ruby reached in her backpack for one of their ice-cold water bottles they had packed and leaned it against Emma's arm. "Emma," she whispered again. Ruby covered her hand in droplets of condensation forming on the water bottle and spread it to Emma's other arm and lightly on her forehead. "Emma?"

Emma's head moved slightly. "Ruby?" She asked somewhat incoherently. "What happened? Where are we?"

At Emma's words, huge smiles of relief formed on Ruby and Mary-Margaret's faces. Happy tears sprung from Mary-Margaret's eyes as she watched Emma reacquaint herself with her surroundings.

"We're in the mine, beneath Storybrooke, do you remember?" Ruby still crouched beside her, checking vitals and keeping eye contact with her.

"Yeah," Emma said slowly, looking at the dark around her. "I was looking for a way to help Mary-Margaret."

"Down here?" Ruby had to ask, not understanding. She moved from Emma's side, revealing Mary-Margaret behind her.

When Mary-Margaret saw Emma and they locked eyes, it felt like the first time she ever seen her daughter.

A slight smile lighten Emma's face. "Hi," she whispered reaching for Mary-Margaret.

"Oh, Emma!" Mary-Margaret cried as she swiftly moved to her side. The two embraced in a long, loving hug. Mary-Margaret put her dirty hands in Emma's hair to hold her tighter and closer to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Emma said into Mary-Margaret's shoulder. After I slight pause, she added, "I didn't find anything though," in a defeated voice.

"Yes, you did."

"What?"

Mary-Margaret released Emma only to reach behind her. Emma's brows narrowed in confusion. Mary-Margaret brought her glass coffin lid in front of her. "It's the lid to my glass coffin," she told Emma with a smile.

For a second, Emma didn't understand, her eyes darting back and forth from Mary-Margaret to the glass. After a few moments, Emma's eyes widen so much she thought they might pop out of their sockets. "You remember?"

"I remember," Mary-Margaret confirmed with a smile. She put her hands on Emma's checks, her fingers lightly brushing off dirt on her skin. "Thank you," she whispered.

Emma gave Mary-Margaret a squeeze and the pair shared a smile, their foreheads almost touching.

A tortured breath.

Emma looked up. Fear pained Mary-Margaret's face. Mary-Margaret let another short breath. "Mary-Margaret!" Emma yelled in fear.

"Shh!" Ruby pointed up trying to warn Emma about falling rocks.

Mary-Margaret spent her last moments brushing Emma's hair out of her face. After one last shared glanced between them, where Emma saw the same unconditional love David showed her after he remembered, Mary-Margaret closed her eyes, lost all life in her body and fell into Emma's lap.

"No!" Emma cried. "Mary-Margaret! No!" Emma started to shake her body, knowing it would be no use. "No! Come back! Come back to me!"

"Emma!" Ruby tried to take over. "Let me try." She started to move Mary-Margaret's body out of Emma's lap.

"No!" Emma clung to Mary-Margaret's body with force. "No!"

Ruby placed her hands over Emma's, forcing Emma to stop moving the body back and forth. "Let me try! I saved you! Let me try to save her."

"It's different! Look at her!"

"You have to let me try!" Ruby felt Emma release her grip on the body. A moment of silence, of understanding, passed between them. "Take a breather."

After another pleading moment with Ruby, Emma gently lower Mary-Margaret's to the floor, and stood up.

Tears continued to flow out of Emma, so much so that her eyesight was becoming blurry. She closed her eyes, wishing she could wake up from this terrible nightmare. Emma couldn't watch Ruby work, feeling in her gut it was a lost cause.

Emma forced herself to turn her back. Once she opened her eyes to the now familiar darkness, all Emma could do was run. After all, she thought, running was who she was. Trying to change it, especially given her loss that she hadn't quite registered yet, was pointless and could only result in heartbreak.

Emma let out a cry from her soul. She brought her hands up to cover her face and to mute her cry. Somehow, she could see more light with her eyes closed than with them open. Emma felt her heavy chest move up and down. Feeling her deep breaths was the only reason Emma knew she was alive.

A strange light suddenly came through her fingers and over her eyelids.

_Maybe I am dying_, Emma thought.

She opened her eyes. Bright lights were coming around the corner of one of the paths down deeper into the mine. "What the hell?"

Emma pulled herself away from the wall she didn't know she was leaning on, and started to walk towards the light.

_This is taking 'light at the end of the tunnel' way too far for my taste._

It did not take long to follow the path around the corner to the light. Either she was dead and she had no sense of time anyway, or walking to a destination led by lights made her forget about time completely.

Emma stopped when she reached the end of the path. The light seemed to swallow her now, and she could not remember what darkness looked like.

"Emma." A familiar voice called out her name.

Emma tried to bring defined objects into focus to allow the bright light that surrounded her fade away.

She blinked once more. Green grass, blue sky, and rolling hills came into her focus. She took two steps further into the strange land.

She spun around, looking for the source of that so familiar voice she hadn't heard in months.

Brown hair caught her eye and Emma stopped spinning. The pair starred at each other for a moment before both of them broke into smiles at the same time.

"Graham?"

* * *

><p><em>The Mayor's Office. 4pm.<em>

Where could David be?

After Mary-Margaret and Ruby had kicked him off their search party, Mary-Margaret claiming Emma would kill her and then him for going back into the Storybrooke Mine ever again, Henry made it his mission to find David.

Henry searched through his mother's secret hiding places he knew about and came back with empty results.

Now, holding her ring of a thousand keys, he stood in front of her desk examining each keyhole. How could he be expected to find a key to open one of the drawers, much less the right drawer?

If Emma was here, Henry knew, the key she touched would be the right one. But she wasn't. Emma was trapped in a mine he had led her to in hopes of finding an entrance to Fairytale Land that was probably somewhere else completely.

It was up him now. Henry put Emma into this mess; he was going to get her out of it.

Half the keys were already tried when Henry noticed it. There was mud on the marble floor; muddy footsteps near the door, dirt dropping on the drapes next to the window. He then searched the office to find two or three other muddy footprints near a carpet underneath the leather couch.

"What the heck?"

Henry put the ring of keys on her desk, completely losing his place in his trial and error. He approached the rug slowly and cautiously, not believing his mother, the evil queen, could be so careless.

"No Way," he said when his hands finally touched the loose carpet. It was wet. Knowing he was onto something, Henry pealed the rug further and further back until a heavy couch had stopped it from moving.

"Shoot!" Henry slammed down the rug. "Ow!" Henry let out. His forearm hit the floor hard when he replaced the rug. Henry looked at his bruised arm and then back at the floor.

His mouth opened when he connected the dots. Speechless, Henry jumped up at his realization. It took all his strength to move the couch off of the rug. When he was able to, Henry bent down and carelessly flung the rug off to the side.

When Henry looked back at the floor, he smiled.

He was right.

A trap door sat in the middle of the Queen's office.

* * *

><p><em> Fairytale Land<em>

"Graham?" She asked again. Emma's wide grin wouldn't leave her face. "Graham?"

The huntsman approached Emma. Troubles, pain, hurt, all qualities that marked his face the last time she had saw him, had no trace on him now. All Emma could see was his beautiful, peaceful face.

"Am I in Heaven?"

The man smiled wider. "No," he said softly. "That's not where you are."

Emma couldn't keep her eyes off of him, searching for hints of heaviness or ruggedness or loneliness that had attracted her to him in the first place. She searched, only to find nothing but a man at peace. "Then where I am?"

He looked down a little at her, raising her eyes up to his own. "Where do you think you are?"

He broke from her, looking further in the distance from where they stood.

Emma followed Graham's eyes, the land becoming clearer and clearer to Emma. Distant flags waved from far away castles, smoke entered the air from recently abandoned villages, birds chirped to Emma, and she somehow understood what they were saying.

Emma looked down. She was wearing a light summer green dress with purple ribbon. She felt the material; she had never felt anything like it before. Usually she would hate this dress – complete with ribbon – but somehow, here, it was perfect.

"I'm home," she told the man.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Maybe you'll like this cliffhanger better than the last one, who knows though? See, the more people that tell me they're mad at my cliffhanger - the faster I give you a new one. Only two more chapters! Props to La5021, Lola, Littleprincessofmercury, OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout, Aod4L, and JainaZekk621. Thank You So Much for inspiring me to write! Though, I have to say, the previous chapter's cliffhanger might have pushed me to write as well. My apologies about the fanfiction alert system - If anyone knows why the alerts are delayed or if they are experiencing the same problem, please let know how I can fix it. <em>Thanks!<em>


	12. When You Lose Something

When Emma Leaves Storybrooke

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 10: When You Lose Something_

_ Beneath Storybrooke. 3:30pm._

"So, you think you've won now?"

His hands still tied behind his back, David finished watching Mary-Margaret's last heartbeat turn to dust as Regina delighted in his anguish. He followed the dust as it fell at her feet, making a small dust pile for Regina to step on.

"Oh no, I won a long time ago, James. I am just now enjoying every bite of my dessert." Regina admitted to David coldly while twisting her foot back and forth in the dust.

"I hope you enjoy every last minute of it." Regina blinked at his words. Her reaction exactly what David had hoped for. "You should enjoy it. You have worked hard to get where you are."

Regina pushed herself forward on to David; they were now so close their noses could be touching. "Tell me one reason I shouldn't do the same to your heart."

"I don't have a reason," David told her. "Please destroy my heart the way you did hers. You should do it."

"Oh!" Regina raised her eyebrows along with her malicious voice. "Now look whose gone to the dark side."

"Please, I'm begging you, just do it: End my agony."

Regina could hear his plea in his voice, but when she saw the man begging for his death, her twisted smile returned to her face. "I don't think I will. Better to watch you tortured alone without her than both of you gone. What fun would that be?"

"What a mistake," David said straight to her face.

"Excuse me," Regina's cold voice turned to anger.

"Or rather mistakes. You'll full of them today," David stated. His voice was detached: almost cold.

"Wh-?"

David quickly brought his foot to Regina's chin and kicked it back forcefully. He stood up, walked over to her struggling on the floor, and pressed his foot down hard on her throat. "I wouldn't try to speak, I'll cut off your air supply before you can utter the first word."

Thanks to David's forceful blow, Regina's head hit the concrete before the rest of her body resulting in a serious concussion. Nevertheless, she grabbed David's leg in an attempt to free herself. Thinking fast, David quickly knocked Regina out completely with his free leg and quickly ran to the candle lighting the room.

He took a deep breath and put rope that constrained him to the fire. Once the rope had caught flame, David rushed away from the candle, relying on the heat to loosen each strain of the rope.

Sure enough, it did. When David was free, he moved around the room examining it. It was completely sealed to the point where he had no idea how he or Regina ended up there. David looked up; the ceiling was too high for him to be dropped in.

All David knew was that he had to restrain Regina before she regained consciousness. He looked down at the burnt rope in his hands, trying to turn on his creative switch.

His eyes went past the rope in his hands down to the pair of running shoes currently on his feet.

When Regina finally did regain consciousness, she found herself sitting in the same position she had found David in. Now, not only were her hands tied behind her back, but also her feet were bound so tight Regina worried she might lose feeling in them. Regina looked up, suddenly she forgot all about the shoelaces restraining her four limbs.

David towered over her, holding the candlestick in one hand and his burnt rope in the other.

"That's right." He told her angrily. "Prince Charming is back."

* * *

><p><em>Fairytale Land<em>

"What are you doing here, Emma?" The huntsman said behind her. He had watched Emma for several moments, her beautiful green dress rippling around her body, her hair dancing in the wind. She fit here, and yet, she couldn't be here.

After taking in the view for another moment, trying to carve every peek and valley into her mind, Emma turned back to the man. A small yet beautiful smile appeared on her face. She hoped the man would mirror her expression and they would stay like this forever. But he didn't. His serious expression demanded an answer. She took a deep breath. "I am finding my destiny," she said sweetly.

"You shouldn't have to be here to find you destiny."

Emma blinked twice at his harsh words.

"Why are you being mean?" She asked, taking a cautious step towards him.

"Why to do you have to see everything to believe it, Emma?"

"I don't - " Emma started, trying to reach for him, trying to connect.

"You do." The man challenged her, pulling his arm away from her reach. "Which is sad, really. You were born out of the purest magic there is, and yet you don't believe in it."

"Well, now I - "

The man took a step forward towards her. "Now you believe because you've seen it?"

"Is that so wrong?" Emma still looked softly at the man, hoping to find some understanding, some empathy, something to connect this man to the one she used to know.

"No, Emma, it's not wrong." Finally the man's voice turned warmer. Her wish fulfilled when his eyes sparkled at her. "You just shouldn't be here."

She crossed her arms. "But here I am."

A gust a wind blew between them. The man watched Emma as her hands went down to the bottom of her dress to keep it from blowing up. The man only allowed himself to admire her beauty for a moment before Emma looked up at his face again.

"So what happens now?" She asked the man.

The man took a deep breath, looking around the forest. "What do you want to happen, Emma?" He paused again for meaning. "What are you doing here?" He asked her again.

"I – I don't know," she finally admitted.

"Huh," His face swallowed by sadness. He started to walk backwards, away from her. "Well, perhaps that's your first problem."

"Hey wait!" Emma followed him. "Where are you going?"

"You need to go back, Emma."

"I can't go back."

The man continued slowly in the grass, Emma following close behind. "Sure, you can."

"I couldn't save Mary-Margaret."

The man stopped in his path and turned. He looked into her eyes seriously. "You don't need to save Mary-Margaret."

"I can't lose her. I can't lose my family."

"Then, don't."

"What?"

"Perhaps if you believed in magic, you wouldn't question what I'm telling you."

"I don't know much, but bringing people back from the dead sounds like the bad kind of magic to me."

"Your mother isn't dead, Emma."

"Then where is she?"

"I can't tell where she is. That's something you'll have to find yourself."

For the first time here, Emma felt anger and sadness ignite within her. Emma closed her eyes for a moment to make sure she was in control of her emotions. When she opened them, the man had already gone a far distance a head of her.

She ran to catch up. "Where are you going?" She asked again.

"To that well over there to drink some water."

"Why?"

"Water is a very powerful thing."

When they reached the well, Emma grabbed him. "Hey," she called out, touching him for the first time. "August said that to me once."

The man did nothing to remove Emma's hands. Instead, he turned his body to face Emma. "His name isn't August."

Emma looked at him suspiciously. "What's his name, then?"

The man shrugged. He said "Good luck, Emma," took a sip of water, kissed her check, and disappeared.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke Mine. 6pm.<em>

"Emma! Emma!" Ruby's voice answered Emma's plea for direction. "This way."

"'This way' is not helpful in the dark!" Emma replied, panicked.

Ruby could easily tell what direction Emma's voice was coming from and with her headlight she found her within minutes.

When she finally saw Emma, Ruby smirked. "What happened to you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ruby raised her index finger and pointed to Emma's middle. "What's with the dress, milady?" She teased.

"Oh," Emma looked down. She hadn't noticed her magical dress had stayed with her in Storybrooke. "It's a long story."

Ruby raised her eyebrows. "Sure it is.

Emma couldn't waste time on conversion. "How is she?"

"No change." Ruby said sadly.

"Ok," Emma geared herself up for a fight. "I need you to help me."

"There's nothing else we can do." Ruby said weakly.

"Take this." Emma told her with confidence.

Ruby just noticed both of Emma's hands were full. "What is that?"

Emma's annoyance took over her body. They were wasting time. "It's a glass of water. What does it look like?"

"Where did you get those glasses? I already tried giving her water. It didn't work."

"Ruby!" Emma did her best not to yell in the mine. "I need you to take this glass from me right now."

"But-"

"Don't-" Emma breathed to calm herself. "Question me right now. Just do it." She lifted her left arm towards Ruby. "Take the water."

Ruby quickly walked to Emma, both frighten and inspired by Emma's change in attitude. Emma followed Ruby's headlight back through the dark mine to the place where Mary-Margaret's body lay lifeless.

Emma carefully put the glass on a flat piece of ground she found close to the body. Crouching beside her, Emma gently putting her hands on the arms, and she pulled the body up to lean against the mine's wall.

A noise disrupted her focus. Emma turned her head to find the source of it. When nothing seemed disturbed, she turned her attention back to the body. Ruby watched Emma's fingers trace the face – assuming her strange behavior was Emma's weird way of mourning the departed.

When another noise down the mine reminded both women of their present danger, Ruby cried, "Emma," begging to leave.

"Go." Emma firmly stated.

"I can't leave without you."

"Go," Emma demanded. "Now."

Ruby put her glass of water next to Emma's. After one last glance at Emma and the lifeless body, Ruby quickly walked towards the entrance of the mine, leaving the pair in the dark.

Emma felt around for Ruby's backpack and quickly found the spare headlight. Once more, Emma's fingers traced the outline of Mary-Margaret's face. It was still warm, soft too, almost what Emma imagined an angel to feel like.

Determination and control surged within Emma. Without looking down, Emma grabbed hold of one of the glasses on the dirt floor.

"Come back to me," Emma whispered. She put the glass to the lips and let water seep into the mouth.

Emma could not understand what was happening. Suddenly light filled the body and Emma saw life slowly come back into it. It was magic. Emma smiled, and couldn't help thinking all they needed now was Disney melody music.

Snow White slowly opened her eyes.

"Mom?" Emma said for the first time in her life.

Snow's eyes found her daughter's. She softly placed her hands on Emma's face. "Emma?"

A smile spread across Emma's face, followed by streams of tears. "It's me."

Happy tears flowed from Snow's eyes. The mother and daughter looked at each other, memorizing every contour of the other's face only for a moment before Snow pulled Emma to her, folding her into an embrace.

"Oh, Emma," Snow whispered. She moved her hands from Emma's back into her hair, combing it through gently with her fingers. When she felt it was right, Snow pulled Emma back, placed her hands softly on Emma's checks again, trying to wipe her tears away. "I've missed you so much."

Emma heard her mother's words, but only could respond by sobs.

"You found us," Snow whispered. "I knew you would."

At her mother's last words, Emma's tears ceased to run. She held her breath for a moment, not knowing if she should speak her mind or not. Meeting her mother's eyes was all it took for the truth to come out. "I didn't," Emma admitted.

"I know," Snow whispered. "That's okay."

"It is?" Emma wondered.

"It is." Snow reassured her. "I would never want you to be more than you are."

_That's what mothers are for._

Emma had never heard those words, or anything close to them, spoken to her before. She couldn't do anything but lean into her mother, wrapping her arms tight around her for another hug.

_Outside Storybrooke Mine. 6:30pm._

"Ruby!" She heard her name called, put couldn't see the source of the voice.

She found the boy. "Henry!" Slowly Ruby walked towards him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were looking for David."

"Yeah, I found him."

"Then where is he?"

"He's in trouble. I need Emma's help."

"Okay. Well they are still in there, so-"

"We need to go in and find them!" Henry already pressed passed Ruby, ready to go in the mine's entrance.

Ruby pulled him back, "I can't let you do that!"

Henry motioned inside. "But-"

Henry saw Emma and Snow slowly walking out of the darkness together – arms around each other. When Henry came into her sight, Emma let go of her mother and ran towards her son.

"Emma!"

"Henry!" When Emma reached him, she flung her arms around Henry and lifted him up.

"David's in trouble." Henry whispered.

Emma let go of him so they could be face to face. "Where is he?" She asked seriously.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. 7pm.<em>

"How am I supposed to open a trap door with no latch?" Emma asked Henry again.

"You'll figure it out." Snow answered for him.

The three of them kept up a swift walking pace back into the town from the Mine. Ruby had opted out of their current mission – one adventure per day was more than enough for her.

"And you're sure he's there, Henry?" Emma asked as they passed Mary-Margaret's house on their way to the Mayor's office.

"Yeah. Besides, I checked everywhere else he could be."

"Hey," Emma stopped in her tracks, forcing the other two to turn around. "Wait."

"What?" Henry questioned quickly.

"Emma, we have to go." Snow demanded.

"What is David's car doing here?"

"Does it matter?" Snow asked impatiently. "He's not in it."

Emma looked at the truck with more curiosity than the scene would currently merit. Her hands traced the walls of back of the truck until she came to the passenger side. Emma looked through the window.

"Emma," Snow pleaded. "We have to go."

Through the window, on the floor of David's truck, Emma could see her box filled with her life's mementos – a dirty blanket careless dropped over half of it.

"What the hell?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Wow, thank all my readers - especially those of were kind enough to write reviews, and add me to their favorites and alerts (even though the alerts might not be working)! Thank you to LittlePrincessOfMercury for letting me know about the alert issue - I would still be worried about if not for you. I love<em>OncerSwarekJateBazeGirlscout<em>, Lola, HarrylovesGinny09, Kuramaangel, Aod4L, Saku-Lee, LittlePrincessOfMercury, and Yuiop for obvious reasons. Sadly, I should remind all my readers this chapter is the 2nd to last chapter :(! Let's see if I can wrap everything up in the conclusion. Bye-Bye for now!


	13. You Can't Replace

When Emma Leaves Storybrooke

_ By Schroederplayspiano_

_Chapter 11: You Can't Replace_

_Storybrooke. 7:10pm._

Snow White approached Emma who was still starring inside David's car window. She didn't understand why Emma would stop now, but Snow knew she couldn't be without her Prince Charming for much longer. As soon as she could glanced inside the window and saw the object her daughter was starring at, she stepped back regret filling her face.

"Emma," Snow said softly, begging for understanding.

Emma turned at her mother's voice. "How could you do this?" She started to yell. "You! Out of all people?"

"Emma," Snow begged again. "Please understand. He only wanted to get to know you."

"And giving him my personal box was the right way to do it?" She argued.

"It wasn't. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Emma crossed her arms. "That's it?"

"Can you stop playing the victim, Emma? James is in danger."

"Well, I'm not stopping you." Emma lifted her arm in the direction of the Mayor's office. "Go save Prince Charming, Snow White."

Snow closed her eyes at Emma's attitude, wishing they didn't have to do this now. "Do we really have to have our first mother-daughter fight here – in the middle of the street?"

"I guess so." Emma answered shortly.

"Emma," Henry interrupted. "We really need to go."

There was desperation in Henry's eyes. It was only when she looked at him that Emma realized she was setting a bad example.

"Fine." She said angrily. Emma quickly walked ahead of them.

Shocked at Emma's fast transition, Snow and Henry looked at each other for a moment before catching up to Emma.

The office was still unlocked, thanks to Henry. Emma barged into the two doors and stopped at the marble door. She looked around.

There were obvious signs of a struggle: Muddy footprints dragged across the marble and dirt covering the half pulled down drapes. Emma continued to search, but nowhere could she find a trap door.

Emma turned at the sound of Henry and Snow entering the building. "Henry, where's the trap door?" She demanded. "I can't find it."

"Oh," Henry said with a chipper. He jogged away from Emma to the moved couch. "I put the rug over it so no one could find it." Henry crouched down to pull the rug away, reveling a small wooden square against the marble.

Once she saw the wood, Emma ran to it, crouching beside Henry, followed by Snow. Emma put her flat palm on the smooth wood, tracing its surface. With her eyebrows furrowed in doubt she said to Henry, "This looks like a replacement tile. Why do you think David is under here?"

Henry answered Emma by knocking hard on the wood. He waited a couple of moments, putting his fingers to lips to silence the other two. When they heard nothing, Henry knocked even harder on the wood, a desperate yell finally coming from beneath.

Emma, Henry, and Snow looked up at each other, crying in relief. "Henry, do you know where your mom keeps a knife or her tools?"

"I know there're some in our garage and there's steak knifes in our kitchen."

Emma sat for a second in thought. "Do you know anything closer? Anything she keeps in her office?"

"She probably does. I just don't know-"

"About this?" Snow questioned. She smiled at them and then kicked the wood hard.

Sure enough the wood fell right through the floor. The three of them looked down a deep tunnel, revealing nothing but darkness. When Emma's eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness, she looked up, trying to figure out what to do.

Henry was puzzled. Emma looked at Snow, a determined expression on her face. Snow gave her daughter a reassuring smile and then put her whole face into the hole.

"Charming?" She yelled down.

"Snow?" David's voice bounced back from the darkness with excitement. Emma and Henry their arms around each other, excited. "You're alive? Regina squeezed your heart to dust in front of me."

"Charming!" was the only word Snow could form.

"You found me."

"Your family found you," Snow corrected him.

"Emma! Henry!"

"We're here!" Henry chirped down. "Do you have any idea how to get out?"

"No. I'm pretty deep down here."

Emma heard discouragement in David's voice. Something in it ignited a spark within in Emma. She looked at her mother and announced, "I'll go."

"Go where?" Snow was outraged. "You can't drop!"

"Henry go get a rope from your garage," Emma ordered. Henry nodded. "Hurry!" She added as Henry left the room.

"Emma!" David shared Snow's feelings. "Regina's down here."

"How can she-" Snow started.

"Did you knock her out?" Emma assumed since she hadn't heard Regina's cold voice.

"For now."

Emma had to think quickly. "You said she had a heart down there with you?

"There's a whole wall of hearts down here."

Emma's heartbeat quicken at the information. "I have to go down there."

"Yeah, but," David added a warning to his voice. "Dropping down isn't the right way to do this. I don't think Regina dropped down."

"Okay." Emma changed her tone to anger. "You guys sent me away to be the savior, right?" She paused for a response, but didn't receive any. "Well, that means you have to let me save you my own way."

Her words, her acceptance, left both parents speechless.

"I got it!" Henry yelled out of breath, running back into the room.

If Emma was debating to follow her instincts or her parents', Henry's return made everything clear to her. "Henry you are coming down with me."

"No!" Both Snow and David argued at the same time.

Emma put the rope down and crossed her arms – her point clear.

Snow saw the frustration, the disappointment in Emma's face. "Sorry."

"If you guys don't trust me, don't have faith in me, there's no point in doing this."

"Sorry," Snow said again.

"Sorry, Emma. Really." David said making his voice boom upwards.

"Henry, let's go."

Snow helped secure the rope around Emma and Henry, through a loop in Ruby's backpack, and tied it around the waist of Emma's green dress.

"Ready to lower us down?"

"Yeah," Snow said, a hint of sadness in her voice. She hated to be the one left behind. "What should I do when you're down there?"

"Wait for my instructions. I don't know if you'll be pulling us up or doing something else."

"Okay." Snow's voice was shaky.

"Henry?" Emma opened her arms so Henry could move into them. Once he did, Emma moved to the edge of the opening in the floor. After one last look to her mother, Emma slowly leaned back and let her weight pull her into the hole.

"You okay?" Emma heard Snow's voice in the darkness.

"Yeah," Emma answered uncomfortably. "Henry?" She whispered.

"Yeah, I'm good," he whispered back.

"I only wish I had a harness. I feel like I could fall through this loop any second."

"Well, don't." Snow ordered.

Emma smiled at her mother's response. She put her feet of the wall opposite the one supporting her back. Emma now had firm supports around and she quickly learned how to use them.

"I'm good," she announced. She heard Snow and David sigh with relief.

"Oh, I can see you." Happiness filled David's voice.

With David's candle lit below them, and Regina's office lights moving further and away, Emma and Henry still couldn't see a thing.

"I got you," Emma heard David's voice again. Within seconds, Emma felt David's hands on her legs and her back guiding her the rest of the way down.

After her feet were on the floor, she turned to David. Other than huge sighs and gasps of relief, no words could come to any of them. David put his arms around Emma and Henry, not wanting to let go.

"Everyone okay?" Emma turned her head up Snow's voice. It sounded too far away.

"Yeah," Emma yelled up. She felt someone kiss her hair and turned. David's eyes were still closed. He was still kissing her hair when Emma put her arms around him, pulling him closer. "Dad," she whispered softly.

Henry jumped out Emma's arms to let them embrace. Tears came out of her eyes at David's warm touch.

"Oh, Emma," David released Emma just enough to see the tears running down her face. The sight made David tear up as well.

Emma let go of him to brush the tears off her face. When David kissed her again, she stepped back.

"I'm mad at you."

"What?" David asked, as if he didn't understand.

"I know this isn't the time or place, but," Emma took a deep breath, meeting his eyes. "I know you took my box."

Heartbreak and shame swelled within David. "Emma," he begged softly.

"Later, okay?"

"I'm sorry," he couldn't help himself.

"Later. Okay?" She repeated more strongly.

"Okay," he said, but Emma didn't hear him. She moved around, finally seeing the confined space for the first time.

Henry was standing in the front of the wall filled up with 108 tiny boxes. Against another wall, Emma saw Regina, curled in a ball clearly unconscious.

"You knocked her out?" Emma asked again for clarity.

"Twice." David confirmed. "The second was just 20 minutes before you found me."

"Twice?"

David smiled at Emma. "She was getting annoying."

"You think we could wake her up?"

David furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would we do that?"

"She knows how to get out of here."

"And why would she tell us?" Asked David, still confused.

"She'll do it for Henry."

"No, she won't," Henry took over their plan. "I already told you she doesn't love me."

"But she cares for you Henry." Emma bent down to her son's level. "She's not going to leave you stranded here."

Hurt took over Henry's face. "Is that why you brought me down here? So I could be some type of bait?"

Emma closed her eyes, debating what to do. "Yes," she told him honestly.

When Emma opened them, a huge smile appeared on Henry's face. "It's brilliant." Emma stood up from Henry and walked towards the unconscious Regina. Henry watched as Emma neared closer to her, putting the pieces together. "Wait!" Henry yelled so loud even Snow heard it from above. "Stop!"

Emma turned back to Henry. "What? What's wrong? I thought we had a plan."

"We can still do it without her," Henry informed both of them.

"How?" David and Emma asked together.

"Snow can't pull the three of us-" David claimed.

Emma looked around, understanding something she didn't before. "-I think we should find the other exit."

"We need to do something first," Henry stated, knowing they both were missing the point.

"What?" David and Emma again had the same thought.

Henry looked at Emma seriously. "You need to free the hearts."

Emma's eyes widen at Henry's suggestion, knowing he was right. She turned to the wall of metal boxes, having no idea how to fulfill her next task.

"What?" David said angrily. "Free the hearts?" He stepped in front of Emma, blocking her view. "Would that even make a difference?"

Emma crossed her arms in confusion at his anger. She lifted her arm and pointed up. "Well, that's certainly not Mary-Margaret up there is it?" Emma said in her most obvious tone.

"We don't know what will happen," David said, clearly worried. "Freeing the hearts might destroy everyone!

"Or it could save them!" Henry fought back.

"Well, it doesn't matter." Emma pushed herself in front of David to examine the heart wall more closely. "Because I have no idea how to do it or even exactly what that means."

"Just take it literally." Henry suggested.

"What?" Emma asked Henry, unable to comprehend his words.

"Figure out a way to free the boxes, Emma." Henry ordered. "While I go figure out where the secret passage is."

Emma turned to look at Henry, shocked by his words. Emma raised her head to look at David before speaking.

"How are you going to do that, Henry?" David asked for Emma.

"By asking someone who owns the town."

"And who would that be?" Emma asked, growing impatient.

"Mr. Gold."

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke. 8pm.<em>

"Henry, I don't like your plan." Snow told her grandson on the streets of Storybrooke walking to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop.

"Why not? I'm sure he can help us."

"I know he can, but that's not the point."

Henry stopped to face Snow White. "Then what is?" He challenged.

"He can't be trusted, Henry. He always has a price for his favors."

By the look on Snow's face, Henry could tell he was missing something obvious. "What are you talking about?"

"He's Rumpelstiltskin." Snow said matter-of-factly.

Henry jumped upon hearing the information. "Oh my God!" Once his excitement settled down, he added, "I'm such an idiot."

Snow put her hand on Henry's shoulder to comfort him. "Henry."

He quickly shrugged off her hand, said, "Let's go!" and ran ahead of her towards Mr. Gold's shop.

Snow caught up with him as he pulled opened the shop door. Snow rushed in front of him forcing the door closed.

"Henry, I don't think you understand. His favors, his help, his deals always come with a price and, Henry, the result is never good."

"Only if you don't have what he wants." Henry told her with a smile.

Snow was amazed at Henry's sharpness. "And what does he want?"

"Belle." He stated before opening the shop door.

* * *

><p><em>Beneath Storybrooke. 8:15pm. <em>

"I still don't see how this is going to work." David sat on the floor of their now prison, his legs out in front of him – bored, while Emma continued to stare at the wall. "And she's going to wake up at some point." He moved his head in Regina's direction, but Emma ignored what he was saying. "Emma!" He said strongly forcing her to look at him. "You are playing with fire. You have no idea the consequences of your actions."

"I've never been so sure of anything until right now."

"Why?"

"Because I saw Mary-Margaret die and Snow White come alive in front of me." Emma said firmly, making her point clear. "And I thought we just talked about you trusting my decisions."

"Fine."

"Not that I should trust your word at all at this point."

David took a deep breath. "I said I was sorry."

"Wow," Emma said sarcastically. "How heartfelt."

David turned his head back and forth in disapproval and disappointment. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing," Emma answered in anger. "I want you to shut up with you doubts and half-ass apologies and let me work."

David, exhausted from his torturous day, finally gave up. "Fine," he said closing his eyes and letting go.

"Thank you."

Emma went back to the wall. It was finally silent enough for Emma to work. After some thought, she placed her left hand on one of the boxes. It opened so quickly, Emma jumped at the moving metal. She yelled at the sight in front of her.

Sure enough, in the box was a beating heat.

At her cry, David stood up and went over to see the source of Emma's panic. The item in the box didn't surprise him at all. David looked up at Emma and watched her slowly calm down.

After Emma recovered from the sight in front of her, she became aware of David standing across from her. Emma mumbled to herself. "How on earth do I free the hearts?"

"Can I speak now?" David wanted to help

"No." Emma instructed him. At first David worried Emma refusal was out of anger. Then he saw the sparkle in her eyes and the smile on her lips. "Let me figure it out."

He stepped back and watched Emma work, opening and closing each of the boxes. Pride overwhelmed his being, he couldn't help but blurt out, "I love you."

Emma froze at her father's words; grateful her back was towards him. David noticed her panic and began to panic himself.

Her body still frozen, Emma managed to say, "I know," before returning back to work.

Ignoring her fear, Emma lifted one heart into her hand. Once settled in her palm, the heart disappeared into thin air.

At the same moment, David fell to the ground – all life in his body gone.

The sight of her father's lifeless body made her own heart stop beating for a moment.

Then Emma went to Ruby's backpack – her water bottle within.

* * *

><p><em>Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop. 8:30pm.<em>

"I know you're on Emma's side, Mr. Gold." Henry said for the second time, trying to earn his full attention, but nothing was working.

"I have no idea what you mean, Henry," Mr. Gold said, continuing to file papers into his desk. "And I have to close up shop now."

Snow nodded understanding they were not welcome anymore. Wanting to go herself, Snow put her hands on Henry's shoulders urging him to walk towards the door.

Desperately, Henry pushed back against Snow, and came so close to Mr. Gold there was almost no space between them. Henry's movement forced him to meet his eyes.

"Emma is working on a way to bring Belle back to you." Without a change in Mr. Gold's face, only in his eyes, Henry knew he said the right words. "And we need your help."

_Storybrooke Hospital. 9pm_.

"We didn't see a single soul on our way here." Snow commented as they walked through a wing of the hospital she'd never seen. "And how is this hospital wing completely deserted?"

"No one knows about this wing." Mr. Gold informed them.

"What about the rest of the town?" Snow quickly questioned.

"Storybrooke is usually a ghost town after nine o'clock," Mr. Gold said, unconcerned.

"Maybe," Snow replied. "But not usually that creepy."

"Emma's plan must be working!" Henry jumped excitedly.

"You think - ?" Snow looked at him seriously.

"Here we are." Mr. Gold said trying to show no interest in their conversion. He didn't look back at them before putting the key in the hole. "Regina likes her secret passages."

The door opened, Snow and Henry tried unsuccessfully to move around Mr. Gold to see inside the room.

Snow and Henry heard excited shrieks from the darkness.

"Henry!"

"Snow!"

"Emma!"

"Charming!"

James and Emma appeared behind Mr. Gold with smiles on their faces reaching out to the other half of their family. Emma realized Mr. Gold was there when his body prevented her from connecting with her son.

"Wait." Mr. Gold demanded. He looked straight to Emma. "Where's my reward?"

Emma furrowed her brow at him, clearly confused. "What?"

"Oh." The fear in Henry's voice was obvious. "Uh-Oh."

Anger surged within Mr. Gold. "Emma," he was scary. It was the first time Emma was ever afraid of him. "Where is she?"

_Who?_

Emma knew she had to think fast on her feet.

"Mr. -" Her fear made Emma stumble over her words. "Mr. Gold. I know – I know where she is." Emma hoped he couldn't tell she was lying. For all she knew, the person he was looking for had to be where they were going. Emma took a deep breath to keep her composure. Emma said again, "I can bring you to her."

He brought his hand up and she knew what was going to happen before it did.

Mr. Gold was a master at slapping women across the face.

James and Snow yelled in outrage. Emma tried to blink the pain out of check, caressing it with her fingers while trying to block her father from attacking the man in front of him.

"You don't even know who she is!" Mr. Gold yelled in her face. He pointed at Henry. "He's a liar."

Emma cautiously put her hand on Mr. Gold, hoping to turn his attention away from her son.

"Okay!" Emma went through her options desperately; deciding honestly was the best choice at this point. "Okay, I don't know who Henry promised you I'd find, but," Emma took a deep breath. "I still know where she is."

"Where is she?" Mr. Gold demanded still angry.

Emma paused. She had thought she knew what she was going to say, but something prevented her. Quickly she went through every interaction with him in her head.

He had called her a fighter.

He had elected her Sheriff.

Emma's eyes widen.

He had broken her mobile.

He knew.

"She's in Fairytale Land," Emma promised. "And I know how to get you there."

"And yet," a cold voice said behind them. "You won't be able to."

Mr. Gold's barrier blocking the family's reunion broke at Regina's voice. He stepped inside the chamber to see Regina tied up, fully conscious.

Despite her words, everyone smiled at the sight of her restrained. Henry walked to Emma, Snow to James, and put their arms around the other standing tall to Regina.

The family's wall of strength and love made Mr. Gold confident in Emma's plan. Then he knew all Regina's threats would forever be empty.

"And why is that, your majesty?" He asked with a smirk.

"I-" The sight of the family together scared the threat out of her. "Because-"

"Let me guess." Emma released her family and approached the women who took everything from her. "Because this is your happy ending."

A speechless Regina lost herself in front of Emma.

Emma grabbed her chin hard, forcing Regina to look at her. "You bet it is," she said and pushed her head to the floor.

* * *

><p><em>Storybrooke Mine. 9pm.<em>

"Are you sure she won't be there?" Henry asked Emma.

"Regina in Fairytale land is the same as Regina in Storybrooke." Mr. Gold answered for Emma. "You noticed she didn't disappear with the everybody else when Emma released the hearts?"

"Yeah," Henry was still unsure. "But you're still here."

"Same rules apply to me as they do to Regina."

"Why didn't you say anything then?" Emma asked, noting they were almost to Fairytale Land's lighted entrance.

"Look," Mr. Gold said, annoyed. "I did my best."

The five of them turned a corner in the mine. Light overwhelmed their senses.

For a moment no one could do anything but stare at the entrance, trying to comprehend what they were about to do.

Mr. Gold looked back at the family. "Just to be clear. Once we're back home, I don't owe any of you anything," he said seriously. Without another look, he disappeared into the light.

"Home." Snow repeated his words.

"Shall we?" Henry asked eagerly.

Emma looked around at the people she was sure were her family. Her dream of finding them finally came true.

Why now did she have doubts?

"We shall," Snow said to Henry, unaware of Emma's inner struggle. Snow took Henry's hand and led him to light without looking back so certain her husband and daughter would follow.

"You don't have to go." James told her as if reading her thoughts. Emma couldn't believe his words – finally full of empathy and acceptance. "I know you have people who care about you here."

Emma's mind turned to the notes in her box.

"No, I don't." She took a deep breath. "And I can't lose my family."

James took a deep breath of relief. "So," he held his hand out to her. "You ready?"

Emma looked back. Darkness was the only thing behind her. "Yeah," Emma took her father's hand. "I'm ready."

With her hand in James', the daughter and father stepped into the light:

Together, leaving Storybrooke behind.

_-The End-_

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Yes, don't worry. There will be a sequel. "When Emma Enters FairyTale Land" will be published at some point, most of the outline is completed - but I need a little bit of a break. So be sure to add me to your Author Alerts so you be sure you won't miss it.<p>

I can't thank everyone who has given me feedback on my story enough. From the ones who added me to their favorites to everyone who put my story on their alerts to each review written to every reader out there - thank you for coming on this journey with me. I know its clique, but I have truly loved every second of it. I am also sad to see it end. Until next story - _xoxo Schroederplayspiano._


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